Iain Dale (born 15 July 1962) is a British broadcaster, author, political commentator, and a former publisher and book retailer. He has been a blogger since 2002. He was the publisher of theTotal Politics magazine between 2008 and 2012, and the managing director ofBiteback Publishing until May 2018.[1] Since September 2010, he has hosted a regular discussion show on the radio stationLBC. He was named Radio Presenter of the Year at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards in 2013[2] and 2016.[3] On 28 May 2024, he announced that he was quitting his LBC roles to run as an MP in the2024 United Kingdom general election,[4][5] only to abandon his campaign three days later.[6] He returned to his usual LBC slot on 3 June.
Dale was born inCambridge and grew up inAshdon, nearSaffron Walden,Essex, where he attended Ashdon County Primary School andSaffron Walden County High School.[7][8] He has two sisters.[9] After a gap year in which he worked as a nursing assistant at the Werner Wicker Klinik inWest Germany, he studied German, linguistics and teaching English as a foreign language at theUniversity of East Anglia; his course included a year in which he taught English at thegymnasium inBesigheim. He was awarded an upper second class honours BA in 1985.[10]
Dale was aresearch assistant to theConservativeMember of ParliamentPatrick Thompson (1985–87), the public affairs manager for the British Ports Federation (1987–89), a financial journalist withLloyd's List (1989–90) and then the deputy managing director of the Waterfront Partnership and the managing director of the Waterfront Conference Company (1990–96).
Between 2006 and 2013, Dale wrote a weekly diary column for theEastern Daily Press. In December 2018, it was announced that he would contribute a new weekly column to both theEastern Daily Press and itsArchant stablemate, theEast Anglian Daily Times.
Dale has written or edited 46 political books. This includes co-authoring, in May 2006, a book with fellow bloggerPaul Staines (responsible for theGuido Fawkes website) about alleged instances of sleaze from theLabour government since it took office in 1997.[11] A second edition was published in June 2007.[12]
Dale has written histories ofWest Ham United, the football team he supports, andNorwich City forHaynes Publishing, and in 2015, wrote a book calledThe NHS: Things That Need to be Said for Elliott & Thompson. His most recent book was co-edited by the former LabourHome SecretaryJacqui Smith, and is a collection of biographical essays of every female MP elected to theHouse of Commons since 1918 entitledHonourable Ladies. A second volume was published in 2019.
Dale was a stand-in presenter for the London radio stationLBC 97.3 during the first nine months of 2010 after doing a couple of test programmes with other journalists. WithGaby Hinsliff, he co-presented LBC's six-hourelection night programme on 7 May 2010. In May and June 2010, he presented thePetrie Hosken,Clive Bull,James Max andJeni Barnett phone-in shows, and on 22 June 2010 fronted LBC's budget coverage.
In late July 2010, Dale started a six-week stint on LBC covering forPetrie Hosken andAndrew Pierce, which later turned into a regular show. Dale was the weekly evening presenter on LBC from 7 to 10pm until March 2013, whenClive Bull took over. Dale instead replaced broadcasterJames Whale as the presenter of theDrivetime show between 4pm and 7pm Monday to Friday. He continued to present the station'sSunday Politics show between 10am and 1pm each weekend for a further few weeks in March 2013 untilAndrew Gilligan took over. On 3 September 2018,LBC changed their autumn schedule: Dale moved to the evening show (7–10pm).
Dale formerly presentedPlanet Politics onOneword Radio. He was also the chief presenter on the failed internet TV station18 Doughty Street.
Dale was shortlisted for Speech Radio Programme of the Year at the 2013Sony Radio Academy Awards, and then went on to win Radio Presenter of the Year at the 2013 and 2016 Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards. He won a Silver Sony for Interview of the Year at the 2014 Sony Awards[13] for his interview with James from Woolwich, who was an eyewitness to themurder of Lee Rigby.
Dale currently co-hosts a weekly political and current affairs podcast, entitled ForThe Many, alongside Jacqui Smith.
During the2024 European Football Championship final, Daletweeted that whilst every English player was singing the national anthem, all Spanish players remained silent as theMarcha Real was played, attributing it to a lack of patriotism. The Spanish anthem does not have lyrics.[14]
Dale wrote a blog titledIain Dale's Diary. It was nominated byThe Guardian for the Political Blog of the Year Award in 2005.[15]
In July 2011, Dale started a collaborative blog site,Dale & Co, with many contributors from the political spectrum, including himself. He continues to author a blog entitledWest Ham Till I Die, in which he writes onWest Ham United.[16]
Dale wrote a weekly diary column for the websiteConservativeHome until 2021,[17][18] where he also published his annual list of the '100 most influential people on the Right' through to 2018.[19]
In 1997, Dale opened Politico's Bookstore and Coffee House inWestminster, selling political books, memorabilia and novelty items. The shop spawned sister publishing and web design businesses that shared the Politico's brand. In 1998, he expanded his operation with the creation of a publishing division, Politico's Publishing, which he sold toMethuen Publishing in 2003. In 2004, he announced the closure of his bricks-and-mortar outlet and relocated his business toKent as a mail-order operation. Later that year, Methuen re-opened his former premises as the Westminster Bookshop.
In 2006, Dale sold his Politico's Bookstore business to Harriman House. In 2012, he relaunched Politico's online as part of hisBiteback Publishing business. He was also the publisher ofTotal Politics magazine from June 2008 until its sale toDods (Group) PLC in December 2012.[1]
In August 2006, it was confirmed that Dale had been added to theConservative A-List of candidates to fight the next general election.[21] He unsuccessfully applied for the Conservative candidacy for thesafe seatMaidstone and The Weald.[22]
On 17 June 2010, Dale announced on his blog that he was resigning from the Conservative Party candidates list and would not be standing at any forthcoming parliamentary election.[24] On 14 December 2010, Dale announced that he was quitting both blogging atIain Dale's Diary and party politics.[25][26]
On 28 May 2024, Dale announced he would run for selection as aConservative candidate in the2024 general election, in the seat ofTunbridge Wells, where he lives.[5][28] On 31 May he announced that he had decided not to put his name on the shortlist after a clip from a podcast two years earlier resurfaced, in which he said he did not like living in Tunbridge Wells.[29][30][31][32] Dale said that the clip was taken out of context, but concluded it would be impossible to win as a result, because his comment "would be on everyLib Dem leaflet" if he were the candidate.[6]
On 24 September 2013, Dale became involved in a scuffle withManchester pensioner Stuart Holmes, ananti-nuclear protester, on theBrighton seafront.[34] Holmes' placard had appeared on-screen behindDamian McBride, during an interview with McBride on breakfast television, coinciding with theLabour Party annual conference there.[35] McBride, a former special advisor toGordon Brown, is one of Dale's authors at Biteback Publishing. Dale, who was not involved in the television interview, attempted to physically remove Holmes from the shot, resulting in the two men grappling on the ground. On 26 September, Dale accepted apolice caution for the assault.[36] Sussex Police had interviewed both men about the incident.[37]
Dale subsequently posted an apology "to Mr Holmes,Mr Miliband [then-Labour Party leader], the Police, my family, friends and colleagues".[38]
^Crick, Micheal (28 May 2024)."Twitter".X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved28 May 2024.apparwntly[sic] he's hoping to contest the selection in Tunbridge Wells on Friday
