Nicholas Watt

Nick Watt has worked in national journalism for nearly 30 years, reporting on UK and EU politics and is expert in the analysis of Brexit developments.

Nick has covered six UK general elections, two Scottish referendums, and two UK-wide referendums and likes to joke that the downfall of Margaret Thatcher marked his debut in political journalism. As a trainee he was despatched to describe her arrival at her new home in Dulwich on the day of her resignation in 1990. Nick went on to become Political Correspondent at The Times and Ireland Correspondent based in Belfast. Later he was Chief Political Correspondent at The Guardian and European Editor based in Brussels.

In 2016, Nick became the Political Editor of Newsnight on BBC2. Nick’s work at the BBC includes in depth profiles of Chancellor Philip Hammond, Brexit Secretary David Davis, the EU’s Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, and the UK’s Brexit negotiator, Olly Robbins.

In his live nightly updates for Newsnight Nick has won high praise for his insider insights into the inner workings of British politics. However Nick’s reporting also extends far beyond Westminster. He helped to anchor the Guardian’s coverage of the wars in Kosovo and in Iraq. And as The Guardian’s Europe Editor he travelled across Eastern Europe to understand the impact of the EU on new accession states.

In recent times Nick has been in demand for his expertise as a speaker in chairing and moderating events in politics and current affairs with his sharp and authoritative method.