Sir Robbie Gibb | |
|---|---|
| Downing Street Director of Communications | |
| In office 6 July 2017 – 24 July 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Theresa May |
| Preceded by | Katie Perrior |
| Succeeded by | Lee Cain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Paul Gibb (1964-09-29)29 September 1964 (age 61) Northampton,Northamptonshire, England |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Louise Boyd |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Sir Nick Gibb (brother) |
| Alma mater | Royal Holloway, University of London |
| Occupation |
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Sir Robert Paul Gibb (born 29 September 1964) is a Britishpublic relations professional and former political advisor and broadcast journalist.
He is the brother ofSir Nick Gibb, the formerConservativeMember of Parliament (MP) forBognor Regis and Littlehampton. After graduating fromRoyal Holloway, University of London, he pursued a career as a journalist with his first role as a political researcher at theBBC. He then became chief of staff for Conservative MPFrancis Maude in the late 1990s. Gibb returned to the BBC in 2002 as the deputy political editor ofNewsnight and went on to edit various television programmes includingDaily Politics,The Andrew Marr Show, andThis Week.
Gibb was Prime MinisterTheresa May'sDowning Street Director of Communications between 2017 and 2019. Gibb then became a senior advisor for thepublic relations consultancyKekst CNC. He joined theBBC Board as a non-executive director in 2021.
Robbie Gibb was born inNorthampton on 29 September 1964 to John and Eileen Gibb.[1] He grew up in theWest Yorkshire cities ofLeeds andWakefield.[2]
Gibb was educated atRamsey Abbey School inCambridgeshire andHarrogate Grammar School inNorth Yorkshire.[1] He studied Economics and Public Administration atRoyal Holloway, University of London.[2]
In his youth, Gibb and his brotherNick were recruited and trained by theNational Alliance of Russian Solidarists, a right-wing Russian anticommunist organisation. They pretended to be tourists in Russian cities in order to smuggle letters to and from dissidents.[3]
After graduation, Gibb joined theBBC as a political researcher including for the television programmeOn the Record. He left this role soon after his brother Nick was elected asConservative MP forBognor Regis and Littlehampton, to become Conservative MP and shadow chancellorFrancis Maude's chief of staff.[4] Gibb served in this role until 2000.[5] He then joined Maude in supportingMichael Portillo's unsuccessful campaign to become leader in the2001 Conservative Party leadership election.[2]
He returned to the BBC in 2002 as deputy editor of the news and current affairs television programmeNewsnight. Gibb left this role to become the organisation's political editor for various programmes includingDaily Politics,The Andrew Marr Show, andThis Week as well as coverage of theBudget.[6][7] He was also editor of live political events includingThe Great Debate during the2016 EU referendum campaign.[8] Gibb is a prominent supporter ofBrexit.[9]
In 2017, Gibb returned to working in politics, becoming Conservative Prime MinisterTheresa May'sDowning Street Director of Communications.[6] He was succeeded byLee Cain afterBoris Johnson became prime minister in 2019.[10]
He was appointed aKnight Bachelor inMay's resignation honours on 10 September 2019 for political and public service.[11] Gibb then became a senior advisor for global strategic communications consultancy Kekst CNC, which is part of the Frenchpublic relations firmPublicis Groupe.[12]
In 2020, he led a successful consortium bid to buyThe Jewish Chronicle. The consortium's bid was backed by journalistSir William Shawcross, former Labour MPJohn Woodcock, and journalistJohn Ware.[13] Gibb has refused to say who funded the consortium bid, believed to be around £3.5 million. In his declaration of interest on the BBC website, Gibb stated that he owned a 100 per cent holding in Jewish Chronicle Media.[14]Alan Rusbridger, inThe Independent, wrote that, "the BBC board's own website commits them to 'submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office'. They should restrict information 'only when the wider public interest clearly demands'." Rusbridger continued by saying that Gibb had "flatly ignored my questions about his role as the sole named director of theJC. Nor will he tell anyone whose money is behind the paper he 'owns'".[14]
According to formerChronicle journalist Lee Harpin, Gibb made a habit of coming into the office and checking what stories were topping the news list; Harpin was told the new owners wanted more views "well to the right of the Tory party".[15] Harpin stated that Gibb interviewed candidates for a senior editor position and appointedJake Wallis Simons.[15]
Gibb departed as a director of theChronicle on 20 August 2024, passing ownership to Jonathan Kandel, a fellow consortium member, and the ex-Labour peerLord Austin of Dudley.[16] The people ultimately responsible for the company's debts remained unknown.[16] Gibb retained sole directorship of "The JC Media and Culture Preservation Initiative", a community interest company sharing a correspondence address withThe Jewish Chronicle.[15]
Gibb described himself as a "Thatcherite Conservative".[17][18] He was an editorial advisor forGB News prior to its launch in 2021.[19] Gibb also advised the government in 2021 on the publication of theCommission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report.[20]
Gibb joined theBBC Board in May 2021 as the Member for England for a three-year term.[21] His appointment was supported by Conservative Party political advisorDougie Smith, who according to journalistTim Shipman, "pressed for months" for him to become part of the Board. Smith and Gibb are close friends since their time as members of theFederation of Conservative Students.[17] According to the journalist Oliver Shah he is a "right-of-centre voice" on the board.[22]
According to theFinancial Times, he reportedly attempted to blockJess Brammar's appointment as BBC executive news editor in July 2021. He allegedly sent a text message to Director, News & Current AffairsFran Unsworth that urged her not to "make this appointment" as it would shatter the government's "fragile trust in the BBC". A source close to Gibb denied that he sent the message.[9] DeputyLabour Party LeaderAngela Rayner called for his resignation, saying it was "Tory cronyism at the heart of the BBC".[20]
In August 2022, former BBC presenterEmily Maitlis stated that Gibb was an "active agent of the Conservative party" who played a significant role in determining the nature of the corporation's news output.[23][24]
In September 2024, afterThe Jewish Chronicle apologised for publishing a string of fabricated stories about theGaza war, Alan Rusbridger queried how Gibb could, as a member of the BBC's editorial guidelines and standard committee, sit on a panel and participate in an upcoming review of the impartiality of the BBC's war coverage.[15]
In July 2025, Gibb's impartiality was again questioned in an open letter from over 400 media figures to the BBC, which stated: "we are concerned that an individual with close ties to theJewish Chronicle … has a say in the BBC's editorial decisions in any capacity, including the decision not to broadcastGaza: Medics Under Fire".[25]
In November 2025,Liberal Democrats leaderEd Davey called for Gibb's removal from the BBC board because of Gibb's alleged role in the2025 BBC editorial bias controversy.[26][27][28] One of the main BBC staff unions,Bectu, has also called for Gibbs' removal from the Board.[29]
Later in November 2025 it was reported by the BBC itself, that Gibb had claimed before the parliamentary Culture, Media and Sport committee, to have been completely impartial ever since 1991. According to the BBC, Gibb said to MPs "I have impartiality through my bones", and that it was "drummed into him" when he joined the BBC in 1991.[30]
Gibb married Elizabeth Louise Boyd in 1994; the couple have two daughters.[2][1] He is the Westminster Chair ofLeeds United Supporters Club. Gibb lists golf and boating as his recreations inWho's Who.[1]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Downing Street Director of Communications 2017–2019 | Succeeded by |