Political Reporter of the Year: Nominees

Scroll down to meet those nominated for Political Reporter of the Year

The shortlist

Anna Mikhailova, The Mail on Sunday

• Lockdown professor steps down after breaking rules to meet married lover, The Telegraph
• Victory for war on lone births as mums-to-be given priority for testing, The Mail on Sunday
• Boris to kill off the 10pm curfew, The Mail on Sunday

The judges said: “Anna Mikhailova has had a stand-out year. Her scoops have been impactful, while her campaigning journalism has brought about real, positive changes for pregnant women during the pandemic.”

George Parker, Financial Times

• Dominic Cummings has ‘done’ Brexit. Now he plans to reinvent politics
• Inside Westminster’s coronavirus blame game
• No 10 official chosen to be head of UK civil service

The judges said: “George Parker has been a must-read journalist in 2020, from his rich and forensic long reads on Cummings and Covid to his revelations on the turmoil in Whitehall and No 10. Consistently high quality and insightful.”

Harry Cole, The Sun

• Five Days of Christmas, The Sun
• Abbott Our Wizard of Oz, The Sun
• Minister Accused of Bias In £1 Billion Planning Row Lobbied By Developer At Tory Dinner, The Mail on Sunday

The judges said: “Cole’s clearly unparalleled contacts within government have resulted in class A journalism, and the reporting of vital stories with real importance to readers. Great exclusive on the Christmas relaxing of Covid restrictions.”

Pippa Crerar, Daily Mirror

• Cummings broke lockdown rules while he had coronavirus symptoms
• Five steps to end of lockdown (May 2020)

The judges said: “Pippa Crerar has had a fantastic year, showing tenacity, courage and persistence in her reporting. The lockdown scoop made Dominic Cummings a household name, put Barnard Castle on the map and sent the government into a pandemic panic.”

Steven Swinford, The Times

• National lockdown looms (October 2020)
• Williamson was warned about risk of exam fiasco
• Johnson and Sunak split over reform of pensions

The judges said: “One of the best carriers of political exclusives in Westminster. At the forefront of Covid reporting, Swinford’s stories about new lockdowns and exam fiascos are those of urgent and national importance.”

Tim Shipman, The Sunday Times

• Coronavirus: Boris Johnson keeps calm but Whitehall plans for worst
• Coronavirus: Boris Johnson and civil service chief Sir Mark Sedwill clash over action plan
• There were three in this marriage: Boris, Carrie and Dominic Cummings

The judges said: “Tim Shipman’s big reads on the inner workings of No 10 during the Cummings/Cain era became weekend must-reads, culminating in his blow-by-blow account of the power struggle that saw the Vote Leave team ousted from Downing Street. The ultimate story breaker.”