Peter Preston

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For the Ontario politician see Peter L. Preston

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).

He joined The Guardian in 1963 and was editor for twenty years, from 1975 to 1995. He continues as a prolific columnist addressing 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.

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 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 his own reasons to resent British government ministers.

Preston's son, Ben Preston, is a journalist with The Times.

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Preceded by:
Alastair Hetherington		 Editor of The Guardian
1975 - 1995		 Succeeded by:
Alan Rusbridger
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