John Hess was the BBC’s first Political Editor for the East Midlands and for 20 years, he reported from Downing Street and Parliament for radio and TV. Now he’s campaigning to be the first East Midlands Regional Mayor.
During his distinguished broadcasting career, he was nominated for three Royal Television Society awards and for two years running was a finalist for Midlands TV journalist of the year.
At the last count, he had interviewed eight UK Prime Ministers and one US President , Bill Clinton and. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. He retired after 35 years with BBC news in 2015.
He is now an Honorary Professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, at the University of Nottingham.
A father of three grown children and a grandfather of four, John lives near the Trent Bridge home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club, where he’s a member.
1) Which place, or city or country do you most feel at home in?
Having just returned from a holiday in Madeira and the worst tropical storms to hit the island in a generation, I would welcome the calm, huge beaches, and big skies of North Norfolk. Wells-next-the-Sea is always a personal favourite. I never tire of London. The buzz and excitement of the place never fades.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
This is bound to be personal. My wife Chris and I are fortunate to have three grown children. They are level-headed, sensible and none of them have ever showed any inclination to go into journalism or broadcasting. Now we have four grandchildren and embracing childcare duties when required.
3) What inspires you?
It’s hard to beat the experience of going to an orchestral concert to hear a top-class orchestra and world beating choir. I try to get to Birmingham's Symphony Hall and watch the CBSO at any opportunity. I’m also chair of the Nottingham-based "Music for Everyone" charity which encourages people from all backgrounds and abilities to come together and sing. It's so good for the soul and for your personal well-being. Music for Everyone" celebrates its 40th anniversary next month - that is certainly a big achievement.
4) What has been biggest obstacle in your career?
I feel very fortunate and privileged to have worked for the BBC for most of my journalistic career. The organisation represents the very best of public service broadcasting, but working for it can be -at times- very frustrating and mind boggling. Like any large institution, it goes through regular shake-ups and reorganisations, and that inevitably affects people and their hopes and aspirations. On some of, I found myself at a sharp end of a few of those big changes, especially during the time of John Birt's period of BBC Director General. The key to survival in such a large organisation is to be adaptable.
5) Who has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
Without doubt, the biggest influence on my career was my first BBC news editor Chris Throup. He ran the newsroom at BBC Radio Nottingham, Chris had a remarkable nose for a good news story and inspired a generation of newsgatherers. I joined Radio Nottingham straight from newspapers and Chris helped shape me into a broadcast journalist. Running a news operation can be difficult and challenging at the best of times, but Chris always kept his cool. He was a keen player of backgammon over the lunchtime pint. Maybe that was the key to keeping calm.
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
In a possible case of poacher turned gamekeeper, I am now campaigning to be the Labour Party's candidate for the first ever East Midlands Regional Mayor…it's a new role responsible for devolved powers from government covering transport, housing, economic development and adult education and skills training. Other areas of England already have regional, or metro mayors and it's taken the East Midlands a while to catch up. It's the biggest mayoral region in the country covering a population of 2.2 million people and including the main cities of Nottingham and Derby. It's a vibrant area which has sometimes struggled to get its voice heard. The new role of Regional Mayor will help address that and I will ensure that voice is heard loud and clear.
7) And the worst?
At present, one of the inevitable challenges is reaching out to so many people across such a large geographical area. Mainstream media is very fragmented, and the historic nature of the TV transmission map ibn parts of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, means people aren't necessarily watching local news for their area. Social media can help but it doesn't suit everyone.
8) What are your long term goals?
If I am fortunate enough to win the Labour nomination for East Midlands Mayor - the result is announced early August -then it’s the second phase of being in campaign readiness for the Mayoral election next May. There's likely to be a very strong Conservative Party challenger and the timing of the election will be very significant. With a likely General Election next year, a Labour victory in the Mayoral contest will be a tremendous morale booster for Labour supporters. This part of the Midlands has traditionally been politically marginal, and Labour took a bounding at the last general election. I'm confident the tide is turning, and my aim is to ensure a Labour mayoral victory ushers in a sweeping general election in the parliamentary constituencies in my patch.
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
It worries me that education appears to have dropped down the priorities of people and, in turn, the government. Education needs to be part of our everyday conversation again. The state of some of our school buildings is a concern; classrooms with leaking roofs and an over prescriptive curriculum doesn't encourage the enjoyment of learning. Teaching has become too narrow and it's in danger of leaving a generation of schoolkids behind. Our system of education is ready for a full review and reform.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
The film maker and actor Orson Welles would be top of my Desert Island list. Citizen Kane remains a master class in movie making, and his iconic appearance in Carl Reed's "The Third Man" still has huge impact. I never tire of it, even though I know nearly every frame in the movie. Orson was a great storyteller. Maybe guilty of the occasional tall story, but he would never disappoint and I'm sure he would turn the desert Island into an elaborate film set. We would never want to leave!
