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Charles Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham

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Charles Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham
Born
Charles Hilary Moore

(1956-10-31) October 31, 1956 (age 70)
Hastings, East Sussex, England
Occupation(s)Journalist, editor, biographer, peer
Years active1979–present
Known forEditor of The Spectator, The Sunday Telegraph, The Daily Telegraph; authorized biographer of Margaret Thatcher; chairman of The Spectator; life peer in House of Lords
Notable workMargaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography (three volumes)

Charles Hilary Moore, Baron Moore of Etchingham (born 31 October 1956) is a British journalist who currently serves as chairman of The Spectator. He previously held editorial positions at The Daily Telegraph, The Spectator, and The Sunday Telegraph, and remains a contributor to all three publications. Moore is well-known for his authorised three-volume biography of Margaret Thatcher published in 2013, 2016, and 2019. In July 2020, he was elevated to the peerage and took a seat in the House of Lords during Boris Johnson’s administration.

Early life

Born in Hastings, East Sussex, Moore grew up in a family aligned with the Liberal tradition. His mother, Ann (née Miles), was active as a Liberal county councillor in Sussex, while his father, Richard Moore, worked as a leader writer for the News Chronicle and stood as a Liberal candidate for Parliament.

While attending Eton in 1974, Moore wrote about his support for the Liberal Party and his enthusiasm for real ale. He maintained his Liberal connections into his early twenties and was acquainted with Oliver Letwin.

Moore pursued higher education at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied alongside Letwin and Nicholas Coleridge. He graduated in 1979 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History, earning upper second-class honours (2.1) in both subjects. During his university years, he cultivated an interest in architectural preservation and admired the work of Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman.

Early career

Beginning his journalism career in 1979, Moore joined The Daily Telegraph as a political correspondent. After briefly contributing to the "Peterborough" gossip column, he advanced to writing editorial leaders by age 24. In 1982, he produced a pamphlet for the Salisbury Group titled The Old People of Lambeth. This work followed the 1981 Brixton riot, which Moore attributed to "poorly planned mass immigration." He conducted interviews with elderly white residents of Lambeth regarding issues such as crime, policing, immigration, and politics. Moore noted their strong loyalty to the Royal Family, diligent work ethic, and respect for law and order, alongside their feelings of being surrounded by individuals they regarded as more primitive and less respectful of privacy.

In a 1992 piece addressing welfare policy efficacy, Moore conveyed an American viewpoint suggesting that some ethnic groups are inherently more entrepreneurial than others. He referenced stereotypes like "The Korean sets up the grocery store which the black then robs," implying that certain racial differences in enterprise and ability might hold some truth.

In September 2003, Moore inaugurated the Beebwatch column aimed at highlighting what he perceived as unconscious bias within the BBC. He criticized the broadcaster’s supposed soft-left leanings: opposition to American global influence, support for the United Nations and Palestinians over Israel, resistance to the Iraq war, favouring European Union integration, and dismissing critics as xenophobic.

The Spectator

Moore began his tenure at The Spectator as a political columnist before becoming its editor from 1984 to 1990. During this period, he employed a young journalist named Boris Johnson, who later took over as editor himself and eventually served as Mayor of London, Foreign Secretary, and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

In 1989, Moore co-edited A Tory Seer: The Selected Journalism of T. E. Utley.

Editor of the Sunday Telegraph

Between 1992 and 1995, Moore held the position of editor at The Sunday Telegraph. Early during his leadership, coinciding with the release of Andrew Morton's Diana: Her True Story, he appeared on Newsnight to address the marital difficulties of the royal couple, controversially justifying secrecy as a means to safeguard the monarchy.

Editor of the Daily Telegraph

In 1995, Moore assumed the role of editor at The Daily Telegraph. His 2001 editorial titled "A Free Country" championed causes such as hunting rights, access to pornography, freedom in employment decisions, trial by jury, and the legalization of cannabis. It also critiqued wartime restrictions and Margaret Thatcher’s augmentation of government authority.

False allegations against George Galloway

By 2003, faced with declining readership and speculation regarding his position, Moore stepped down. During his editorship, the newspaper published unfounded claims that George Galloway accepted payments from Saddam Hussein’s regime, which resulted in a successful libel lawsuit against the publication.

Later career

After departing from his editorial role at the Daily Telegraph in 2003 to dedicate himself to writing Margaret Thatcher’s authorised biography, Moore has regularly contributed columns to both The Spectator and the Daily Telegraph. In 2023, he was ranked by the New Statesman as the 40th most influential figure on the UK’s right-wing political spectrum.

Chairman of Policy Exchange (?-2011)

Moore served as chairman of Policy Exchange, a think tank based in London, until June 2011. In December 2007, he defended a contentious Policy Exchange publication titled The Hijacking of British Islam, which the BBC later revealed was based on fabricated evidence. Following public criticism, The Times issued an apology to Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari from the East London Mosque for its reporting.

Although Policy Exchange chose not to initiate legal proceedings against the BBC, in September 2008 the Finsbury Park Mosque filed a writ concerning allegations made in the report. By March 2009, Policy Exchange had removed the report from its website and issued a correction. The High Court dismissed the case in December 2009 on the grounds that the Mosque lacked legal personality and therefore could not pursue defamation claims.

Peerage

On 31 July 2020, Moore was granted a life peerage, joining other prominent Brexit advocates such as Claire Fox, Kate Hoey, and Gisela Stuart. He officially took his place in the House of Lords on 17 September 2020 as a non-affiliated member. His inaugural speech in the chamber occurred on 23 February 2022.

Authorized Biographer of Margaret Thatcher

Following Margaret Thatcher’s passing in April 2013, Moore publicly criticized the BBC during a Question Time episode for emphasizing her detractors. On the day of her funeral, he downplayed the significance of hostile reactions, labeling them as "relatively less important."

Moore stepped down from his position as editor of The Daily Telegraph in 2003 to dedicate himself to writing Thatcher’s authorized biography, intended for publication posthumously. The first installment, titled Not For Turning, appeared in 2013 shortly after her funeral (released in the United States as Margaret Thatcher, The Authorized Biography: From Grantham to the Falklands). It is believed that Thatcher personally selected Moore from a shortlist, likely due to his age and his balanced understanding of influential figures from her time.

This initial volume earned the Elizabeth Longford Prize in 2014, accompanied by a £5,000 award.

  • A Tory Seer: The Selected Journalism of T. E. Utley (1989) – co-written with Simon Heffer
  • Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography, Volume One: Not for Turning (2013)
    • US edition: Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography [Volume 1]: From Grantham to the Falklands (2013)
  • Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography, Volume Two: Everything She Wants (2015)
    • US edition: Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography [Volume 2]: At Her Zenith: In London, Washington, and Moscow (2016)
  • Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography, Volume Three: Herself Alone (2019)
    • US edition: Margaret Thatcher: The Authorized Biography [Volume 3]: Herself Alone (2019)

Personal life

In 1981, Moore married Caroline Baxter, whom he met during their university years, with their wedding taking place in Tunbridge Wells. Together they have two children.

After the Church of England permitted the ordination of women priests in 1992, Moore converted to Roman Catholicism. His wife, formerly an English lecturer at Peterhouse, Cambridge, continues to practice Anglicanism.

Moore serves as founder-chairman of The Rectory Society, an organization dedicated to safeguarding historic and current parsonages. Additionally, he is a patron of the Latin Mass Society of England and Wales.

Views

A committed monarchist, Moore has remarked that the monarchy "reaches parts politics cannot reach." He has been an advocate for Brexit and has expressed criticism regarding the BBC’s reporting on both Brexit and climate change issues. In 2018, he highlighted that "religious freedom is central to all freedoms." In September 2020, Moore characterized Black Lives Matter as a "Marxist movement whose doctrines about white people are explicitly racist."

Criticism of the BBC

Moore has expressed strong disapproval of the BBC, accusing it of exhibiting a left-leaning bias. In May 2010, he was penalized £262 for lacking a valid TV licence after choosing to donate the licence fee to Help the Aged as a form of protest against the BBC’s response to Jonathan Ross's "Sachsgate" prank calls. He regarded this episode as symptomatic of a deeper "pathology" present within the corporation.

In December 2019, Moore served as guest editor for the BBC's Today programme, which included interviews with climate change skeptics connected to the Global Warming Policy Foundation alongside activists such as Greta Thunberg. Moore accused the BBC of harboring prejudice against climate change skeptics, while presenter Nick Robinson stressed compliance with Ofcom guidelines and coverage aligned with the prevailing scientific consensus worldwide.

Sir David Clementi, then departing as chairman of the BBC, cautioned that Moore’s potential appointment could discourage other candidates from applying. Moore was reportedly Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s favored candidate prior to the official advertisement of the position. Nevertheless, Moore withdrew from contention citing personal reasons; reports also mentioned his request for increased remuneration and apprehensions regarding his previously controversial statements.

Criticism of David Cameron

Moore has been critical of David Cameron's efforts to modernize the Conservative Party by embracing policies traditionally linked to left-wing politics—such as health, welfare, environmental protection, and education—which he argued tend to prioritize government institutions over consumer interests. He singled out the National Health Service for particular criticism, labeling it "a terrible organisation."

In December 2009, Moore referred to the Beano character Lord Snooty, a sobriquet used by Private Eye in reference to him, as "the ideal role model for David Cameron." After the 2011 News International phone hacking scandal, Moore questioned whether concerns from the Left regarding Rupert Murdoch's influence and skepticism toward free-market principles were warranted.

On the English Defence League

Following the June 2013 murder of Lee Rigby by Islamic terrorists, Moore argued that both the BBC and organizations monitoring anti-Muslim hate crimes, such as Tell MAMA, had created a misleading narrative by implying an increase in anti-Muslim attacks after the incident. He rejected this portrayal and described the English Defence League (EDL) as a "reactive organisation" that officially does not endorse violence. Moore maintained that branding the EDL as racist or violent was frequently inaccurate and pointed out that serious violence was primarily directed at a British soldier. In contrast, Sadiq Khan cited examples including an arson attack on Al-Rahma Islamic Centre and psychological harm suffered by staff and students at Darul Uloom School.

On gay rights

Moore has expressed that civil partnerships provided an appropriate "balance" between heterosexual and homosexual couples. In July 2013, he voiced opposition to redefining marriage in The Spectator, questioning whether such changes could lead to absurd outcomes like marrying animals. In 2015, Moore criticized what he described as a "gay rights sharia" following comments by Dolce & Gabbana's openly gay founders who opposed gay adoption; he argued certain viewpoints are imposed within parts of the LGBT+ community, referencing a BBC Today programme featuring Buzzfeed’s LGBT editor Patrick Strudwick.

In 2013, Moore observed that many individuals avoid expressing anti-homosexual views due to societal pressure. By 2017, he opposed banning conversion therapy entirely, questioning why people should be denied access to therapies aimed at changing homosexual feelings. A partial prohibition on conversion therapy in England and Wales was subsequently announced in the 2021 Queen's Speech.

On Islam, terrorism and immigration

After the June 2015 Sousse attacks, in which 38 Western nationals were killed by an Islamist connected to Abu Qatada, Moore asserted that ISIS and similar organizations perceive themselves as the sole force capable of overcoming a worldwide conspiracy, allowing no space for negotiation. He remarked, "Claiming there is a lethal adversary inside [the UK] is not paranoia, nor is the desire to defeat it intolerant."

In September 2015, Moore associated Muslim immigration with a rise in political instability, communal discord, religious intolerance, and acts of terrorism.

By January 2017, Moore supported Donald Trump’s effort to prohibit entry from several Muslim-majority nations, dismissing the backlash as "foaming" and "absurd" in The Daily Telegraph.

Alleged sexism

In August 2015, Moore attracted criticism following a Spectator piece on the Labour leadership race that questioned whether Yvette Cooper and Liz Kendall possessed the "appearance suitable for leadership," stressing the significance of looks for female candidates. The article was condemned by politicians including Liz Kendall, Nicola Sturgeon, and Tessa Jowell, alongside journalists from various political backgrounds.

In August 2019, Moore faced reproach for suggesting actress Olivia Colman had a "distinctly leftwing face," casting doubt on her appropriateness to play the Queen in The Crown.

Climate change

In 2015, Moore joined the board of trustees at the Global Warming Policy Foundation, an organization regulated by the Charity Commission and described by The Independent as Britain's foremost climate science denial group. Bob Ward, director at the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at LSE, criticized the Foundation for lacking transparency regarding its funding sources and pointed out that Moore and his associates fail to disclose their affiliation when promoting climate change skepticism. Ward also noted that Moore’s numerous climate-related articles in The Daily Telegraph omit this connection.

In April 2017, Moore advocated in The Daily Telegraph for dismantling environmental regulations and reverting to fossil fuel use to stimulate the UK economy following Brexit.

Ward further challenged Moore’s 2018 assertions that US carbon dioxide emissions had fallen to a 25-year low and that Germany and Japan had increased their emissions by abandoning nuclear power, labeling these claims as misleading.

Bibliography

  • Review of Margaret Thatcher: The Authorised Biography, Volume Two: Everything She Wants.

External links

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