Colin Coote
Sir Colin Coote | |
|---|---|
| Born | Colin Reith Coote 19 October 1893 Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire, England |
| Died | 8 June 1979 (aged 85) London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, politician |
| Years active | 1917–1964 (politics and journalism) |
| Known for | Editor of The Daily Telegraph (1950–1964) |
Sir Colin Reith Coote, DSO (19 October 1893 – 8 June 1979), was a distinguished British journalist and Liberal Party politician. He held the role of editor at The Daily Telegraph for a period spanning fourteen years.
Biography
Coote was born in Fenstanton, Huntingdonshire, as the son of Howard Browning Coote—who later served as Lord Lieutenant of Huntingdonshire—and Jean Coote (née Gray) from Aberdeen. His education was completed at Rugby School followed by Balliol College, Oxford, from which he graduated in 1914. During the First World War, he served with the Gloucestershire Regiment on the fronts in France and Italy. He sustained injuries and exposure to gas during combat and was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in 1918 for his service.
In the wake of Liberal MP Neil Primrose's death in November 1917, Coote was chosen as the Liberal candidate for Wisbech. Due to an agreement between parties during wartime, he also received backing from the local Conservative Association and was subsequently returned unopposed to Parliament on 14 December 1917. Following boundary changes in 1918, he secured election without opposition as MP for the Isle of Ely.
At the general election in 1922, standing as a National Liberal, Coote was defeated by Conservative Colonel Norman Coates amid internal party divisions. He later reflected that this loss allowed him to dedicate himself fully to a career in journalism.
During his time as an MP, Coote had already begun establishing himself as a freelance journalist. After leaving Parliament, he took on the role of Rome correspondent for The Times, reporting on Mussolini’s ascent and the growth of Italian Fascism. Returning to Britain in 1926, he assumed duties as a parliamentary reporter before advancing to leader writer.
Coote opposed The Times editorial stance favoring appeasement during the Munich Crisis and declined to author editorials supporting it. Following editor Geoffrey Dawson’s resignation in 1942, Coote departed from the paper and joined The Daily Telegraph. He rose to deputy editor in 1945 and became editor five years later, maintaining that position until 1964. His Liberal political perspective contributed a moderating influence within the predominantly Conservative editorial line. In 1961, he played a role in arranging a meeting between osteopath Stephen Ward and Soviet diplomat Eugene Ivanov—an event that would later be linked to the Profumo affair. He received a knighthood in 1962.
Sir Colin Coote passed away at his residence in London on 8 June 1979 at the age of 85.
Family
Coote entered into matrimony three times. His first marriage occurred in 1916 to Marguerite Doris Wellstead from Hessle, East Riding of Yorkshire; they had two daughters before divorcing in 1925. His second wife was Denise Dethoor of Doulieu, France, who died in 1945. In 1946, he married Amalie Lewkowitz.