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Fraser Nelson

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Fraser Nelson
Nelson in 2012
Born
Fraser Andrew Nelson

(1973-05-14) 14 May 1973 (age 51)
Truro, Cornwall, England
EducationNairn Academy, Dollar Academy
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow
City University
Occupation(s)Journalist
Editor of The Spectator
Spouse
Linda Nelson
​
(m. 2006)​
Children3

Fraser Andrew Nelson (born 14 May 1973)[1][2] is a British political journalist who was editor of The Spectator magazine from 2009 to 2024.

Early life

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Nelson was born in Truro, Cornwall, England[1] but raised in Nairn, Highland, Scotland. He attended Nairn Academy before boarding at Dollar Academy while his father, who was in the Royal Air Force, was posted to Cyprus.[3] He described himself as "one of a handful of Catholics at a Protestant school."[4] He went on to study History and Politics at the University of Glasgow where he was editor of the university's student newspaper Glasgow University Guardian.[5] He went on to gain a diploma in Journalism at City, University of London.[6]

Career

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Journalism

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Nelson began his journalistic career as a business reporter with The Times in 1997, followed by a short spell as Scottish political correspondent.[6] At a party he met Andrew Neil, then editor of The Scotsman who recruited him as its political editor in 2001.[6] In 2003 he moved to The Business, a sister title of The Scotsman in the Barclay brothers' Press Holdings group.

In July 2004 the brothers bought the Telegraph Group, which included The Spectator and in December 2005 they sold The Scotsman Publications Ltd. Neil had been appointed Chief Executive of The Spectator after the Barclays bought it, and in 2006 he brought in Nelson as associate editor and then political editor of the magazine.[6] He replaced Matthew d'Ancona as editor of The Spectator when the latter left in August 2009.[7] Under his editorship, the magazine reached a record high in print circulation.[8]

He was succeeded as editor of The Spectator by Michael Gove in September 2024.[9]

Awards and Lists

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Nelson was named Political Columnist of the Year in the 2009 Comment Awards.[10] In 2013, the Evening Standard named Nelson as one of the most influential journalists working in London.[11] The British Society of Magazine Editors named Nelson the 2013 Editors' Editor of the Year.[12] In the same year he won the British Press Award as Political Journalist of the Year.[13]

In 2023, the New Statesman named Nelson the 27th most powerful person in right-wing British politics.[14]

Other

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Nelson is a board director of the Centre for Policy Studies think tank.[15]

Views

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Nelson is a supporter of the Conservative Party. In 2013, he claimed The Spectator magazine under his editorship was "right of centre, but not strongly right of centre".[6] During the 2010-2015 coalition government, he was generally supportive of David Cameron's leadership and praised Cameron's Liberal Democrat coalition partner from 2010 to 2015, Nick Clegg.[16] Since 2015, he has since been described as including more strongly right wing pundits in the Spectator's line up,[17][18] and described the magazine's political stance as "centre right" in 2023.[19]

In May 2018 he was heavily criticised for publishing a defence of German troops by Taki Theodoracopulos titled "In praise of the Wehrmacht" which said readers should feel sorry for Wehrmacht soldiers at Normandy.[20][21][22]

In several articles in the mid 2010s, Nelson outlined his view of the relative success of immigration to the UK due to the country's liberalism.[23][24] [25] [26][27] By 2023, however, Nelson was a critic of mass migration describing migration placing pressure on housing, services, and wages.[28]

Nelson's other views have included supporting religious freedom in relation to gay marriage[25][29] and observations over falling rates of children born within married couples,[25]

Personal life

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Married with two sons and a daughter,[1] Nelson and his family live in southwest London.[30] He is married to Linda, a Swede, and said in 2014, "I am a soppy Europhile who speaks a second language at home. The idea of a united Europe was one that really excited me when I was younger, and which I love now."[31]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Nelson, Fraser Andrew, (born 14 May 1973), Editor, The Spectator, since 2009". Who's Who. 2011. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.253929.
  2. ^ "Fraser Nelson". The Media Briefing. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013.
  3. ^ Nelson, Fraser (4 June 2016). "Purge of the posh". The Spectator.
  4. ^ Nelson, Fraser (9 January 2015). "British Muslims deserve better leaders – and they'll need them". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  5. ^ Dunn, Lucy (14 October 2022). "In conversation with Fraser Nelson". The Glasgow Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Sabbagh, Dan (17 February 2013). "Fraser Nelson: The Spectator is more cocktail party than political party". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  7. ^ Brook, Stephen (28 August 2009). "Fraser Nelson to replace Matthew d'Ancona as Spectator editor". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  8. ^ Nelson, Nelson (15 February 2018). "The Spectator's print sales hit a 190-year high – thanks to digital". The Spectator. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  9. ^ Gove, Michael (12 October 2024). "Michael Gove: My plans for The Spectator". The Spectator. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Comment Awards – Previous Winners 2009". Editorial Intelligence. 2012. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  11. ^ "The Power 1000 – London's most influential people 2013: Thinkfluentials, News junkies". Evening Standard. 20 September 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  12. ^ "BSME Awards 2013 Winners" (Press release). British Society of Magazine Editors. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 12 November 2013.
  13. ^ "Winners for 2013". The Press Awards. Archived from the original on 6 June 2015. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  14. ^ Statesman, New (27 September 2023). "The New Statesman's right power list". New Statesman. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Our Board". Centre for Policy Studies. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  16. ^ Nelson, Fraser (19 September 2010). "How I learned to stop worrying and rate Nick Clegg". The Spectator. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  17. ^ Jacobson, Gavin (6 November 2019). "Why the Spectator tolerates the intolerable". New Statesman. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  18. ^ "OPINION: Far-right ideology is now mainstream in the UK". openDemocracy. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  19. ^ "'Scottish genius created most of the modern world.' Kevin McKenna meets Fraser Nelson". HeraldScotland. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  20. ^ "Spectator editor Fraser Nelson claims power of editors 'comically overstated' in 500th issue under his editorship". 5 April 2019.
  21. ^ "Respected British magazine publishes defense of Nazi German troops". The Times of Israel.
  22. ^ "Rod Liddle's latest column shows just how low the Spectator will go for attention".
  23. ^ Nelson, Fraser (27 March 2014). "Only one person is laughing at the Farage-Clegg EU pantomime". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  24. ^ Fraser_Nelson (3 March 2023). "Jon Cruddas, a Labou…". r/ukpolitics. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  25. ^ a b c Nelson, Fraser (13 December 2012). "Britain is getting a glimpse of the crazy world of culture wars". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  26. ^ Nelson, Fraser (5 April 2014). "The British Muslim is truly one among us – and proud to be so". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  27. ^ Nelson, Fraser (21 May 2015). "The unsayable truth about immigration: it's been a stunning success for Britain". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  28. ^ Nelson, Fraser (17 May 2023). "Migration nation: Brexit has meant more immigration than ever". The Spectator. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  29. ^ Nelson, Fraser (23 February 2023). "Protestants are now hounded out of politics, as Kate Forbes has shown". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  30. ^ "Fraser Nelson". David Higham Associates. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  31. ^ Aitkenhead, Decca (18 April 2014). "Fraser Nelson, Spectator editor: 'I'd put £1,000 on Ed Miliband to win the election'". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
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