Pippa Crerar

Crerar was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in June 1976. She spent her childhood there and in Glasgow, where she attended The Glasgow Academy.[2] Her father ran a printing company and her mother is an academic. Crerar attended Newcastle University where she studied English. She was a Scott Trust Bursar on City University’s newspaper journalism postgraduate course.[3]

Before joining the Daily Mirror, Crerar worked as Political Correspondent and City Hall editor for the Evening Standard,[4] throughout Boris Johnson’s tenure as London Mayor. She has also previously been deputy political editor at The Guardian[5] where she was a presenter of the Politics Weekly podcast.[6] Crerar is a presenter of BBC Radio 4's programme Week in Westminster,[7] and has appeared regularly on The Andrew Marr Show, Politics Live, as well as weekly on Sky News. She was chair of the Parliamentary Press Gallery 2020/21.[8]

In May 2020, Crerar published an article alleging that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's special adviser Dominic Cummings had broken COVID-19 lockdown rules and that he had been investigated by police, leading to a televised statement by Cummings in the garden of 10 Downing Street.[9]

In November 2021, Crerar published an article stating that a Christmas party had taken place in Downing Street in 2020, in contravention of lockdown rules.[10] The article was followed by further articles in the Mirror, as well as content from other publications and broadcasters alleging further parties in what would become known as partygate.[11]

In December 2021, she published a photograph in the Mirror showing former Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey at a Christmas party in December 2020.[12] In January 2022, she published further articles on the 'partygate' affair including on 'wine time' Fridays at Downing Street[13] and a festive quiz.[14] On January 25, the Metropolitan Police announced it would investigate Downing Street parties during lockdown.[15]

In March 2022, the British Journalism Review said of Crerar: "Our profession should ultimately be about only one thing: fearless truth-telling and truthful reporting, regardless of the consequences. She’s shown how the job should be done, and in the process played a major role in turning the Mirror back into a paper of which its legendary campaigning boss Hugh Cudlipp could feel proud".[16]

Crerar was Political Reporter of the Year at the Society of Editors’ Press Awards 2020, where she also won Scoop of the Year. The judges said: “Crerar has had a fantastic year, showing tenacity, courage and persistence in her reporting”. She won Scoop of the Year at the British Journalism Awards 2020 and at the London Press Club Awards 2020/21.[17][18][19]