GB News investors have committed to a further £60 million capital injection to accelerate its growth, with existing backers Legatum Ventures Limited and Sir Paul Marshall having bought out Discovery Inc. Co-lead investor Sir Paul says:
“This is more than a financial investment. As investors we’re proud of what GB News doing for media plurality in the UK, bringing fresh perspectives to the national conversation on issues that matter to real Britain.”
GB News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos announced new appointments:
- Camilla Tominey joins in a new senior political presenting role, in addition to her existing position at the Telegraph.
- Andrew Pierce joins with his own show later this year, also continuing his senior editorial position at the Daily Mail
- Michael Portillo joins the channel’s political team and will launch his own new programme in the autumn
So far the GB News formula is beating the TalkTV formula for audience share. The financial backers seem happy…
Guido couldn’t help noticing an amusing detail nestled in the footer of Liz Truss’s swanky new website: she, with the help of Therese Coffey, is running her campaign from 11 Lord North Street, just a stone’s throw from CCHQ. One of Wesminster’s most famous addresses…
This is far from the first time a Tory leadership hopeful has set up camp from the gaudy Georgian townhouse. 11 North London Street happens to be where Michael Portillo organised his failed leadership coup against John Major in 1995. A coup that was only uncovered when 40 new phone lines were noticed being installed at the address – despite Portillo’s public denials…
The home was used again in 2001 for Iain Duncan Smith’s – admittedly more successful – leadership campaign. It also happens to be on the same street where Lord Fraser once chased away Extinction Rebellion while still in his dressing gown…
Michael Portillo to Times Radio on the budget…
“This is certainly not Conservative philosophy. This is something quite different. This is what Conservatives absolutely do not believe in. The Conservatives do not believe that these policies could possibly be successful. And yet they’ve just been announced by the chancellor. So it is, I think, a bit of an identity crisis for the Conservative Party.”
Portillo gave a good performance on Question Time last night, comparing the BBC’s reliance on the compulsory coerced licence fee to a polar-bear on an ever-shrinking block of ice. Biting the hand that feeds him…
Guido missed his usual Thursday night trip to “Porn Idol” at Heaven last night and stayed in. Fortunately political telly was fabulous fashion-wise, though Portillo was perhaps putting too much pink onto the gammon. Xavier Bettel on the other hand got it just right with his fitted purple velvet jacket. He’s the PM who puts the lux into Luxembourg…
Last night on Andrew Neil entirely seriously informed the This Week audience that that he and the show’s guests will be participating in a ‘Brexit Danceathon’ – not stopping until Britain has left the EU. Guido fears that they may be dancing long after This Week has ended as a show…
