Hugh Pym


Hugh Ruthven Pym is a British journalist and author. He is the Health Editor for BBC News.

Early life and education

Hugh Pym was born in 1959 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. He was educated at Marlborough College, an independent school in Wiltshire. He went on to read Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Christ Church, Oxford. He graduated Bachelor of Arts 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.

Life and career

A financial and political journalist Pym now works for the BBC. Pym was a BBC radio journalist from 1986 to 1987, then producer of Business Daily at Channel 4, 1987–1988, correspondent with ITN, 1988–1998, and a freelance broadcaster with Sky Television in 1999–2000. He was a BBC special correspondent covering Economics until 2008, when he took on the role of acting Economics Editor during the maternity leave of Stephanie Flanders. Following her return, he became the BBC's Chief Economics Correspondent, a newly created role. When she left the BBC in late 2013 he took over again as Acting Editor. In March 2014 he was appointed as Health Editor.
Pym has published What Happened? And Other Questions About the Credit Crunch, A Study Of Gordon Brown's First Year in Office as Chancellor of the Exchequer. In the 2001 general election he stood as Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate in the North Wiltshire constituency. His latest book is Inside the Banking Crisis.

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.

Publications