Email to Sky News staff:

Hi,

Esme Wren has been appointed the new Editor of BBC’s Newsnight – a big show in the corporation’s current affairs firmament. Esme has done an outstanding job here both as a leader and a journalist. She started as a producer 13 years ago to rise through the ranks at Sky going on to run our political coverage and specialist journalism that is so key to our brand with great success. Esme played a very critical role in negotiating behind the scenes the three highly successful special elections/ referendum programmes with the party leaders in 2015, 2016, and 2017 that were the defining landmarks of the campaigns. I want to thank Esme for the big contribution she has made in strengthening our journalism, growing our brand, developing our people and for her leadership, challenge, counsel and support in recent years. I wish Esme success and the very best of luck on Newsnight.

John

As Guido tipped last week…

Esme is the right choice out of the final two – Sky’s head of politics has been there since 2005, before which she was a producer at Newsnight. The internal candidate was Louisa Compton of Victoria Derbyshire and Newsbeat – it would have been nurses pay and preferred pronouns every night had she got the gig. Congratulations…