Chris Mason

Christopher Richard Mason (born 21 April 1980) is an English journalist who has been the political editor of BBC News since 2022, having been the corporation's political correspondent. He filled the vacant political editor position previously held by Laura Kuenssberg. He is also a presenter of the podcast and television programme Newscast (formerly Brexitcast).

Early life and career Christopher Richard Mason was born on 21 April 1980 in Airedale Hospital in Steeton, Bradford, West Yorkshire. His parents were primary school teachers. He grew up in Grassington, North Yorkshire, He was an undergraduate at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he studied Geography, and participated in student newspapers, student radio and student television. Mason started his career as a trainee in broadcast journalism at ITN in autumn 2001. where he trained as a journalist. and translated into French in newspaper Le Parisien.

In December 2018 he unveiled a blue plaque honouring the Yorkshire-born journalist W. R. Mitchell (1928–2015). A study of "the Twitter output of 10 seasoned UK political correspondents" found, that Mason was a "prolific" tweeter, and had 66,000 followers between month 1 September and 3 October 2018. He has presented two BBC Radio 4 documentaries called Could the PM Have a Brummie Accent? and The Country vs the City, in July 2018 and March 2019.

On 9 October 2019, Mason was appointed chair of the BBC Radio 4 debate programme Any Questions? He said it was "daunting" to take over from Jonathan Dimbleby, who had been chair for 32 years. Mason suggested his Yorkshire accent helped him get the job and pointed at a lack of a broad range of regional accents more generally in British broadcasting. His first show was broadcast from the University of Reading on 18 October with guests Siân Berry, Madeline Grant, David Lammy and Brandon Lewis. Despite reports that Mason might join the new digital station Times Radio before its 2020 launch, he remained at the BBC.

BBC political editor

interviewing Liz Truss during her government's political crisis, which saw her resign after seven weeks in office Following Laura Kuenssberg's announcement of her departure as political editor of BBC News, Mason publicly said he did not want the job, with The Sunday Times reporting he wanted to concentrate on his Any Questions? role and on writing a book. According to the same newspaper, he was later persuaded to apply for the job by BBC bosses after he was courted by rival broadcasters. On 13 April 2022, it was announced that Mason would become the new political editor of BBC News and would begin in the role in May, replacing Kuenssberg.

Personal life Mason is married to a primary school teacher. The couple have two children and live in Charlton, south-east London. Mason took parental leave between July and September 2019, following the birth of his second child.