Adam Boulton has announced via an interview with in The Times that he is leaving Sky News and will step down as editor-at-large and Sky News presenter this New Year’s Eve:

“… it’s a kind of mutual decision. Basically, just looking ahead, having been at two start-ups, first with TV-am and then Sky, I think it looks like the direction which Sky News wants to go over the next few years is not one that’s a particularly good fit for me…

But also, let’s be honest about this, there’s always a changing of the guard in television. Television is very sensitive to the idea of diversity… I was joking with one of my old bosses about this and he said, ‘You’re white, public school, Oxbridge male, what’s not to like?’ But I don’t complain about that. I was political editor for 25 years. Then Faisal Islam did it. Beth Rigby’s there now.”

John Ryley, Head of Sky News, says in a a statement:

“Adam Boulton has been a hugely significant figure both in the growth of Sky News and British broadcasting as a whole. Adam was the first Political Editor to treat politics as a dynamic, changing story, combining live commentary with video. He also played a key role in bringing about the first televised leaders’ debates in 2010. I will miss his wise counsel.”

Younger viewers might not appreciate just how much traditional television reporting format emulated the deadlines of newspapers until Boulton introduced a continuously updated style of political news reporting. Before Boulton and Sky News the BBC would basically have a little changed political report for most of the day.

Boulton has been on the political frontline for 33 years, first as political editor for TV-am (1984-89), then as political editor of Sky News for 25 years (1989-2014), before becoming Sky’s News editor-at-large and finally full-time presenter of All Out Politics every weekday. In The Times he is described as “kind but combustible” and over the years we at Guido have seen both sides. He was an early adopter and reader of the site, we’ve also had plenty of bitchy Twitter spats, particularly during the period of Brexit battles. We’ve had some laughs too. In person he was always kind and generous with good advice to the editor. Good luck in the future Adam…