Robbie Gibb
| Sir Robbie Gibb link Companies House (Journalist, spin doctor, media executive) | |
|---|---|
| File:Robbie Gibb.webp | |
| Born | Robert Paul Gibb September 1964 Northampton, Northamptonshire, England |
| Alma mater | University of London |
| Children | 2 |
Sir Robert Paul Gibb, known as Robbie Gibb, is a British public relations professional and former political advisor and broadcast journalist who, in May 2021, was appointed to the BBC Board by Boris Johnson.
On 10 November 2025, after what The Guardian reported was a 'coup' at the BBC,[1] there were calls by Ed Davey[2] and John Swinney to have Robbie Gibb removed from the BBC Board.[3]
Background
Robbie Gibb is the brother of Conservative MP Nick Gibb. After graduating from Royal Holloway, University of London, he pursued a career as a journalist with his first role as a political researcher at the BBC. He then became chief of staff for Conservative MP Francis Maude in the late 1990s.
Gibb returned to the BBC in 2002 as the deputy political editor of Newsnight and went on to edit various television programmes including Daily Politics, The Andrew Marr Show, and This Week.
Spin doctor
Robbie Gibb was Prime Minister Theresa May's Downing Street Director of Communications between 2017 and 2019.
In August 2019, Robbie Paul Gibb formed RPG Consultancy Ltd and became a senior advisor for the public relations consultancy Kekst CNC.[4]
Media executive
On 17 April 2020, Sir Robbie Paul Gibb was appointed Director of Jewish Chronicle Media Ltd.[5]
Sir Robbie Gibb joined the BBC Board as a non-executive director in 2021.[6] On 11 November 2023, in his Declaration of Personal Interests, Gibb told the BBC of his directorships of Jewish Chronicle Media Ltd and RPG Consultancy Ltd; and, as a paid adviser to Kekst CNC, GlaxoSmithKline, Premier League, Horatius Advisory Ltd and JL Partners.[7]
Call for Gibb's resignation
On 2 July 2025, Middle East Eye reported:
- More than 400 cultural figures have signed a letter calling for the resignation of pro-Israel BBC board member Robbie Gibb over fears it is harming the broadcaster's credibility.
- A range of filmmakers, actors and journalists - including Miriam Margolyes, Alexei Sayle, Juliet Stevenson, Mike Leigh and William Dalrymple - signed the letter which raises "concerns over opaque editorial decisions and censorship at the BBC on the reporting of Israel/Palestine".
- The number includes 111 BBC journalists who signed the letter anonymously. They specifically referenced Gibb's former directorship of the right-wing Jewish Chronicle outlet.
- Gibb was part of a consortium that bought out the long-running outlet in 2020 and still declares on the BBC website that he holds a 100 per cent holding of Jewish Chronicle Media.[8]
References
- ↑ "‘Make no mistake – this was a coup’: the extraordinary downfall of the BBC’s top bosses"
- ↑ "The first step towards saving our precious BBC: remove Robbie Gibb from the board"
- ↑ "Gibb position on BBC board ‘untenable’, says Swinney"
- ↑ "RPG Consultancy Ltd"
- ↑ "Sir Robbie Paul Gibb appointed Director of Jewish Chronicle Media Limited"
- ↑ "Who really funds the Jewish Chronicle? Why it’s troubling that we don’t know…"
- ↑ "Sir Robbie Gibb: BBC DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTERESTS"
- ↑ "Media figures demand resignation of pro-Israel BBC board member Robbie Gibb"
Wikipedia is not affiliated with Wikispooks. Original page source here