Hugh Pym

Hugh Ruthven Pym (born 18 October 1959) is a British journalist and author. A financial and political journalist by origin, he currently works for BBC News as its health editor.

Early life and education Hugh Ruthven Pym was born on 18 October 1959 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. He was educated at Marlborough College, a private school in Wiltshire. He went on to read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Christ Church, Oxford. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1981. He undertook post-graduate study in Broadcast Journalism at Falmouth College and gained a Certificate in Journalism Cert.Jour

His great-grandfather was Walter Pym, a bishop, and his great-uncle was Leslie Ruthven Pym, a Conservative MP, whose son was Francis Pym, Baron Pym, who was notably Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs during the Falklands War. His grandfather was Leslie's brother Thomas Wentworth Pym, a vicar. His mother was a member of the Clark family (who own Clarks Shoes, with Hugh being a minor shareholder).

Career

Pym began his career in radio at Viking Radio in Hull, and was a BBC Radio journalist from 1986 to 1987. He was the producer of Business Daily at Channel 4 from 1987 to 1988, a correspondent with ITN from 1988 to 1998, On 8 December, Pym tweeted that the second person to get the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was a man named William Shakespeare from Warwickshire. The tweet went viral due to the man's name and home county being the same as that of the renowned playwright William Shakespeare.

Parliamentary candidacy In the 2001 general election Pym stood as the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in the North Wiltshire constituency. He achieved 20,212 votes but lost to the Conservative James Gray.

Personal life Pym is married to Dumbarton-born Susan Neill. He has three children – two sons and one daughter – and is an Elder in the Church of Scotland. Hugh is also a keen fan of the Scotland rugby team.

Publications The Guinness Affair: Anatomy of a Scandal (London, Christopher Helm Publishers, 1987, ), with Nick Kochan Unit and Investment Trusts (Allied Dunbar Money Guides) (London, Sweet & Maxwell, 1988, ) Gordon Brown: The First Year in Power (London, Bloomsbury, 1998, ), with Nick Kochan Inside the Banking Crisis (London, Bloomsbury, 2014, )