Toby Young
Toby Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | Toby Daniel Moorsom Young October 17, 1963 Buckinghamshire, England |
| Other names | Baron Young of Acton |
| Occupation(s) | Commentator, author, journalist, life peer |
| Years active | 1991–present |
| Known for | Founder and director of the Free Speech Union; associate editor of The Spectator; founder of The Daily Sceptic; co-founder of Modern Review; advocate for free schools |
| Notable work | How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2001) |
Toby Daniel Moorsom Young, Baron Young of Acton (born 17 October 1963) is a British commentator on social issues and a life peer. He established and currently directs the Free Speech Union, serves as an associate editor for The Spectator, founded the blog The Daily Sceptic, and previously held the position of associate editor at Quillette.
An alumnus of the University of Oxford, Young had a short stint at The Times before co-launching the London-based magazine Modern Review in 1991, which he led as editor until financial difficulties forced its shutdown in 1995. His 2001 memoir, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, details his subsequent tenure at Vanity Fair. He has also contributed to publications such as The Sun on Sunday, the Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, and The Spectator. Additionally, Young served as a judge for seasons five and six of the television program Top Chef. As an advocate for free schools, he co-founded the West London Free School and was a director at the New Schools Network.
In 2015, Young expressed support for genetically enhanced intelligence, referring to it as "progressive eugenics". In January 2018, he briefly held a non-executive directorship at the Office for Students, resigning shortly after controversial tweets deemed "misogynistic and homophobic" surfaced. While there were demands for his removal, then-Prime Minister Theresa May defended him. In 2020, the press regulator Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) determined that Young had disseminated false information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in a column published by the Daily Telegraph.
Early life
Young was born in Buckinghamshire and grew up in Highgate, North London, as well as in South Devon. His mother, Sasha (1931–1993), daughter of Raisley Stewart Moorsom—a descendant of Admiral Sir Robert Moorsom, who participated in the Battle of Trafalgar—worked as a BBC Radio producer, artist, and writer. His father, Michael Young, later Lord Young of Dartington, was a sociologist and Labour life peer credited with popularizing the concept of meritocracy. Although entitled to use the honorific The Hon. Toby Young, he chose not to adopt it.
Young attended Creighton School (currently known as Fortismere School) and King Edward VI Community College, located in Totnes. After failing most of his O Levels except English Literature, he left school at age 16. He subsequently retook his O Levels and completed his A Levels at William Ellis School in Highgate. Despite initially not meeting the conditional entry requirements from Brasenose College, Oxford to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE), he was admitted owing to an ethical obligation arising from an erroneous acceptance letter.
He graduated in 1986 with a first-class degree in PPE. Following this, he briefly worked as a news trainee at The Times but was dismissed for unauthorized access to computer systems and impersonation of the editor. After receiving a Fulbright Scholarship, he pursued studies at Harvard University and later undertook doctoral research at Trinity College, Cambridge, which he did not complete.
Journalism, writing and activism
In 1991, Young joined forces with Julie Burchill and her then-husband Cosmo Landesman to establish and co-edit the Modern Review, which embraced the slogan "Low culture for highbrows". Young explained that the publication was motivated by the belief that popular culture deserved the same critical attention as traditional high culture.
By 1995, financial difficulties forced Young to shut down the magazine, sparking tensions with financial supporter Peter York, Burchill, and staff writer Charlotte Raven. Burchill had attempted to replace Young as editor with Raven, but their mentor-protégé relationship soured after Young asserted his editorial autonomy.
Subsequently, Young relocated to New York City to join Vanity Fair, where he earned $85,000 for a 3,000-word piece. After his dismissal in 1998, he stayed in New York as a columnist for the New York Press until his return to the UK in 2000. He chronicled this chapter of his life in the 2001 memoir How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.
In 2004, Young transformed his memoir into a solo West End theatrical performance. Critical reception was mixed: while The Stage lauded his credible acting despite limited experience, outlets such as The Guardian offered less favorable reviews. In 2005, he co-authored the sexual farce Who's the Daddy? with Lloyd Evans, which depicted political scandals involving figures like David Blunkett and Boris Johnson; it received the Best New Comedy award at the 2006 Theatregoers' Choice Awards. Their subsequent play, A Right Royal Farce, focusing on royal family controversies, met with poor critical response.
Between 2002 and 2007, Young contributed a restaurant column to the Evening Standard, later asserting that his criticism of their catering led to being blacklisted from the Garrick Club. He went on to write a food column for The Independent on Sunday and appeared as a judge on television programs including Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen. Additionally, he served as a food critic on BBC Two’s Eating with the Enemy.
Young holds the position of associate editor at The Spectator, oversees Spectator Life, and regularly contributes to both the Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph. His blog for the Telegraph was long-listed for the George Orwell Prize in 2012. He also briefly worked as a political columnist for The Sun on Sunday.
During the 2015 Labour leadership contest, Young urged conservative readers of the Daily Telegraph to join Labour and back Jeremy Corbyn, whom he regarded as the weakest contender.
In February 2020, Young co-launched the Free Speech Union. The following year, he was awarded the Contrarian Prize in recognition of his forthright opinions.
Young supported Boris Johnson during the 2019 Conservative Party leadership race but conceded in 2020 that this endorsement was misguided. Nevertheless, he backed Johnson again as party leader in 2022. In 2023, the New Statesman identified Young among Britain's most influential right-wing political figures.
Proponent of Free Schools
Young played a key role in founding the West London Free School, notable as the first free school to obtain a funding agreement with the Education Secretary. He holds a trustee position at The West London Free School Academy Trust, the organization responsible for overseeing the school. The institution was launched at Palingswick House, which led to the displacement of more than 20 voluntary groups. Young resigned from his CEO position in May 2016, citing unforeseen difficulties associated with managing the school. Media scrutiny surrounding the school's turnover of four headteachers within six years was often connected to Young’s public profile. The trust further grew by inaugurating primary schools in Hammersmith (2013), Earls Court (2014), and Kensington (2016). Young supports an educational philosophy emphasizing traditional, knowledge-rich curricula, drawing inspiration from American educator E. D. Hirsch.
In a 2012 article for The Spectator, Young expressed concern about state schools' emphasis on "inclusion," suggesting it compromised curriculum rigor. He specified that his critique was not aimed at access for disabled students but rather focused on preserving academic quality.
In 2015, Young contested claims made by journalist Dawn Foster in the London Review of Books, which were critical of the free school initiative. His rebuttals were challenged by author Michael Rosen, journalist Melissa Benn, and researcher Janet Downs. Foster responded by raising issues related to social segregation and religiously affiliated free schools, also noting that opposition to Young existed within free school supporters.
On 29 October 2016, Young was named Director of the New Schools Network, a charitable organization that aids in establishing free schools. He stepped down from this position in March 2018.
Eugenics
In 2015, Young authored an article titled "The fall of meritocracy" for the Australian publication Quadrant. Within a section dubbed "Progressive eugenics," he explored the concept of genetically enhanced intelligence and suggested that if embryo selection for higher intelligence became feasible, it should be made available "free of charge to parents on low incomes with below-average IQs." He argued this approach could address stagnant inter-generational social mobility and counteract the risk of a hereditary meritocratic elite, presenting it as an idea appealing across political lines as "progressive eugenics." Young has rejected accusations labeling him a eugenicist as a "deliberate misreading," clarifying that unlike coercive sterilization practices, he advocated for providing free IVF services to disadvantaged groups.
Young attended the London Conference on Intelligence at University College London (UCL) in 2017, an event described by media outlets and politicians as a "secret eugenics conference." He stated his attendance was in a journalistic capacity to cover the proceedings, which he subsequently reported on while preparing for the more formal International Society for Intelligence Research conference held in Montreal in July 2017, where he delivered a speech later published.
Office for Students
In January 2018, Young was appointed as a non-executive member of the board at the Office for Students (OfS), an organization responsible for ensuring accountability among higher education institutions. However, assertions regarding his teaching affiliations with University of Cambridge and Harvard were later found to be inaccurate, as he had not held official academic positions at these universities. Controversy emerged due to previous "misogynistic and homophobic" remarks on Twitter, prompting his resignation within a week to prevent detracting from the OfS’s mission. Shortly thereafter, he also stepped down from his role with the Fulbright Commission.
An investigation conducted by Peter Riddell, the Commissioner for Public Appointments, concluded that the OfS appointment panel failed to disclose Young’s history of contentious statements, revealing shortcomings in the vetting process for public roles.
COVID-19 pandemic
At the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in the UK during early 2020, Young voiced criticism of government-imposed lockdowns in The Critic, highlighting concerns about their economic impact and describing the expenditure of £350 billion to safeguard primarily elderly populations as an imprudent use of public funds. He launched the Lockdown Sceptics newsletter (which later became The Daily Sceptic), advocating for an early termination of lockdown measures despite prevailing scientific advice. In a January 2021 appearance on Newsnight, Young acknowledged that some of his positions had been erroneous but maintained his opposition to lockdown strategies.
In July 2020, Young authored an article in the Daily Telegraph asserting that immunity from common cold coronaviruses offered protection against SARS-CoV-2 and suggesting that London was approaching herd immunity. The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) deemed the article "significantly misleading" and mandated a correction; consequently, the newspaper withdrew the article and Young deleted numerous related tweets.
The Daily Sceptic has been associated with spreading misleading information regarding COVID-19 vaccines. In September 2022, PayPal suspended accounts connected to Young, the Free Speech Union, and The Daily Sceptic, citing violations linked to vaccine misinformation. Following parliamentary criticism, PayPal reinstated these accounts later that month.
House of Lords
Towards the end of 2024, Young received a nomination for a life peerage from Kemi Badenoch, leader of the Conservative Party. He was subsequently created Baron Young of Acton, of Acton in the London Borough of Ealing on 21 January 2025 and formally introduced to the House of Lords on 28 January.
Published works
Young is the author of several books including How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, The Sound of No Hands Clapping (2006), and How to Set Up a Free School (2011). Additionally, he co-authored What Every Parent Needs to Know: How to Help Your Child Get the Most Out of Primary School (2014) alongside Miranda Thomas.
Film and television
The film adaptation How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) was produced by British producers Stephen Woolley and Elizabeth Karlsen through FilmFour. Young served as co-producer and was portrayed by Simon Pegg. Released in the UK on 3 October 2008, it debuted at number one at the box office but garnered predominantly negative reviews and incurred losses exceeding £8 million.
Young also co-produced and co-wrote When Boris Met Dave (2009), a drama-documentary exploring the relationship between Mayor Boris Johnson and Conservative Party Leader PM David Cameron. The program premiered on More4 on 7 October 2009 before airing later on Channel 4.
Personal life
Prior to marriage, Young employed a Russian daily assistant whom he described as a "surrogate mother" figure. He later reflected on the difficulties encountered in securing trustworthy domestic help.
In 1997, Young encountered Caroline Bondy in New York. Following an initial separation, he ceased drinking to win her back but resumed alcohol consumption on their wedding day in July 2001. Together, they have four children.
Young confessed to using cocaine at London's Groucho Club and providing it to others, which resulted in his expulsion from the club in 2001 after he disclosed these activities during a 1997 Vanity Fair photo session, violating club policies.
On social media
Young attracted backlash for provocative comments on Twitter, many of which were removed following his appointment to the Office for Students board. By January 2018, he had authored over 56,000 tweets, with 8,439 still accessible.
Critics pointed out his frequent remarks about the physical appearance of female public figures and homophobic insults, including offensive statements directed at MPs and celebrities. Young conceded that some tweets were "not my proudest moment." A tweet responding to a BBC Comic Relief campaign drew widespread condemnation. He has expressed remorse for his "politically incorrect" remarks.
It has been reported that Young edited his own Wikipedia article more than 280 times over six years. In 2020, he criticized Wikipedia's alleged left-leaning bias in an article for The Spectator, attributing the tone of his page to this influence.
External links
- Official website
- UK Peer links: parliament=5379, publicwhip=Lord_Young_of_Acton, theywork=26659
- Toby Young on IMDb
- Articles by Toby Young in The Spectator