Peter Preston is a British journalist and author. Born May 23, 1938 in Leicestershire, he was educated at Loughborough Grammar School and St John's College, Oxford, where he edited the student paper Cherwell. He has received honorary degrees from the City University, London and the University of Leicester (2003). This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Leicestershire (abbreviated Leics) is a landlocked county in central England. ... Loughborough Grammar Schools quad Loughborough Endowed Schools (LES) consists of three independent schools in Loughborough, Leicestershire, United Kingdom — Loughborough Grammar School (LGS), a boys day and boarding school, Loughborough High School (LHS), a girls day school and Fairfield Preparatory School. ... College name St Johns College Named after Saint John the Baptist Established 1555 Sister College Sidney Sussex College President Sir Michael Scholar KCB JCR President Martha Burgess Undergraduates 381 Graduates 184 Homepage Boatclub St Johns College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in... Cherwell newspaper is a student newspaper published by and for students of Oxford University. ... City University is a British university, based at Northampton Square in Clerkenwell, London, England. ... University of Leicester seen from Victoria Park - Left to right: the Department of Engineering, the Attenborough tower, the Charles Wilson building. ...

He joined The Guardian in 1963 and was editor for twenty years, from 1975 to 1995. He continues as a prolific columnist adressing a wide range of political and social issues, also contributing a weekly column devoted mainly to news about newspapers, their readers and (generally) diminishing circulations in The Observer's "business and media" section. He was a member of the Scott Trust from 1979 to 2003, Chairman of the International Press Institute from 1995 to 1997, and Chairman of the Association of British Press Editors. The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... An Editor is a person who prepares text—typically language, but also images and sounds—for publication by correcting, condensing, or otherwise modifying it. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Scott Trust is a British organisation which owns Guardian Media Group and thus The Guardian and The Observer as well as various local newspapers, Jazz FM and other radio stations, and various other media businesses in the UK. The Trust was established in 1936 by John Scott, owner of... This page refers to the year 1979. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... International Press Institute (IPI) is a global organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of press freedom and the improvement of journalism practices. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

He is perhaps best known for the investigative reporting into Conservative MPs, including the perjurous Jonathan Aitken and brown-envelope-receiving Neil Hamilton, begun while he was editor of The Guardian. These were the sleaze revelations ("cash for questions" and corruption in parliament) that contributed to the downfall of the Conservative government in 1997. In both instances, a key source was Harrod's and Paris Ritz owner Mohammed Al-Fayed, who had accumulated his own reasons to resent British government ministers. The cases had the potential to cost the Guardian Media Group huge amounts in libel damages but, despite an evident special regard for The Guardian and its values and fortunes, Preston's newshound motivation seemed to lie primarily in the smell of untruth and corruption that Al-Fayed's tiny scraps of evidence unleashed. The Conservative Party is one of the two largest political parties in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Jonathan William Patrick Aitken (born August 30, 1942) is a former Conservative Member of Parliament, government minister and convicted perjurer. ... Mostyn Neil Hamilton (born March 13, 1949) is a former Conservative MP in the United Kingdom. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Mohamed Al-Fayed (b. ... Guardian Media Group plc is a company of the United Kingdom owning various mass media operations including The Guardian, The Observer and the Manchester Evening News. ...

Bibliography

• Bess (Viking, 1999) ISBN 067088765X
• 51st State (Viking, 1998) ISBN 0670881074

External links

• Guardian columns by Peter Preston
• Guardian Unlimited Special Report: The Aitken Affair
• Guardian Unlimited Special Report: Hamilton, Al Fayed Libel Case
• Open Directory Project - Peter Preston directory category