Chris Moncrieff: Fleet Street legend and 'national treasure' dies aged 88

Chris Moncrieff in the Community Corridor of the Houses of Parliament in Westminster
PA
Bronwen Weatherby22 November 2019

Chris Moncrieff, one of the most respected political journalists of his generation, has died aged 88.

The former political editor of PA, who was hailed as “the one journalist who mattered” by former Prime Minister Tony Blair, died in hospital on Friday morning after a short illness, his family said.

He had four children with his late wife Margaret.

He retired in 1994 after 32 years at Westminster, but returned to work the next day and continued to contribute to the agency until his death.

Chris Moncrieff speaking with the then Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath
PA

Described in Westminster as “the man with the lived-in face and slept-in suit”, Moncrieff’s style was classic news reporting and he roamed Westminster with order papers stuffed under his arm and notebooks in his pockets as he encouraged MPs to call him at any time of day or night.

He joined the national news agency’s parliamentary staff in 1962 before becoming a lobby reporter in 1973 and chief political correspondent - later political editor - in 1980.

Westminster’s The House magazine said he was a “one-man dynamo for whom news is food and drink is Guinness”.

He was also declared by British prime minister Sir John Major on the Great Wall of China to be a "national treasure"

Chris Moncrieff (left) working in the Press Association's Fleet Street office
PA

Sir John made the announcement to bemused Chinese government figures after saving Moncrieff from falling on a steep slope.

Sir John later recalled: "Moncrieff emerged from the mist hurtling downhill.

"His feet were out of control in the way his pen never is. He headed irresistibly towards the edge of the Great Wall and the drop over the side.

"I put out my arm to steady him and the great man was preserved for posterity."

Chris Moncrieff posing in one of the old telephone booths in the Press Gallery
PA

Margaret Thatcher, a great admirer, appointed him a CBE in the 1989 New Year Honours - a rare distinction for a reporter.

He was invited to give a valedictory address at the Labour Party conference, where he reduced some leading figures to tears of laughter.

And 123 MPs tabled a Commons motion recording his "enormous contribution to reporting politics and the proceedings of this House".

The press bar of the House of Commons was named after him in 2007.

After he retired he expressed his own views in a weekly column, published in many regional newspapers, that frequently lambasted politicians of all parties. He also embarked on a new career as broadcaster and TV personality.

"I can be quite outrageous," he told friends delightedly.

Tony Blair’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell tweeted: “Chris Moncrieff RIP. Probably filed more political stories than anyone in the history of political journalism. Liked by everyone. Trusted to be fair and straight by everyone. And nobody in the Westminster press corps ever worked harder. Sad day.”

Pete Clifton, PA’s editor-in-chief, said: “Moncrieff was the ultimate news agency journalist – great contacts, always close to the action, working some epic hours and obsessed by getting stories out before everyone else.

“He had no interest in any political agenda or viewpoint, just making sure he was first to write about it.

“On the rare occasion he took a holiday, we could expect him to file news stories he’d picked up on the promenade, and until very recently he was still filing us the ‘quotes of the day’ feature for the newswire, as well as drawing on his extraordinary memory to file a weekly politics column for our regional newspaper subscribers.

“Legend gets overused, but there’s no doubt Moncrieff was a PA legend and a remarkable political reporter.

“We are profoundly sad today, but cheered by the many stories of Moncrieff we can share.”

Reporting by PA Media.

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