An interview with Guido Fawkes

Paul Staines on 20 years of terrorising politicians.

Today I share an interview with Paul Staines founder of the must read political website Guido Fawkes.

I have known Paul for about 10 years and we share an Irish connection. I was delighted he agreed to tell me why he is stepping back from leading Guido Fawkes after 20 years.

Laura: Hi Paul and thanks for agreeing to do this interview. I was shocked when I read that you were stepping down as editor before Christmas after 20 years leading Guido Fawkes. I understand that Lord Ross Kempsell is taking up the day to running of the site, so it is in good hands. What prompted you to take a step back and what will your role be now?

Paul: 20 years is a long time, I saw six general elections, three referendums, eight Prime Ministers and now even seen off my fourth Spectator editor. I have got older but the SpAds, MPs and even PMs have got relatively younger. I had long planned to hand over the gunpowder in 2024. News is an exhausting treadmill that I needed to get off in the end.

Laura: You have been making the lives of politicians miserable for twenty years. What made you get into the business in the first place?

Paul: Just mischief, and sense that we had a shabby government and a shabby opposition at the time - plus ça change. Also opportunity, blogging was just starting and the idea of citizen journalism seemed exciting or at least interesting.

Laura: What do you believe was the most important story Guido Fawkes broke over the entire twenty years?

Paul: The most consequential was Smeargate - Damian McBride was Gordon Brown’s henchman and bringing him down was a game changer. It smashed Gordon Brown’s mythical moral compass and knocked 5 points off the polling in a week.

(Myself and Paul at the introduction of Matthew Elliott to the House of Lords in February 2024.)

Laura: What election was the most exciting to cover, including the Brexit referendum. I do remember a video of your office exploding when Ed Balls lost his seat, so perhaps it was that election?

Paul: That was quite fun - people think it was staged, it was a genuine roar of delight. The Brexit referendum was a battle and we were a frontline brigade.

Laura: It is no secret that Guido Fawkes leans to the right politically. What is your honest assessment of how Labour will perform in government, given they have very little to work with.

Paul: I think they’ll muddle along. They’ll have to cut spending to stick to their fiscal rules. Reeves already sounds like a Liz Truss impersonator on growth. Labour are not pro-growth, they are pro-redistribution, that is fundamentally problematic. Unfortunately the right-of-centre vote is divided and this could let them back in.

Laura: Will President Trump make America great again?

Paul: The American economy unleashed is a thing of wonder. Trump just has to get the government out of the way and it will surge. I am not a fan of protectionism and it will in the long-run not be in the best interests of the American consumer.

Laura: Will President Trump make the special relationship with Britain great again?

Paul: I have no particular insight, the special relationship features bigger in the British imagination than in the American imagination. US strategic interests are Washington’s primary concern, Britain is a minor concern. The shared culture and common enemies means the alliance works for both parties.

Laura: Who is your favourite politician, living or dead?

Paul: For a night out Nigel Farage is great company. Am an unreconstructed fan of Margaret Thatcher. Currently Javier Milei is my favourite.

Laura: What is the first news website/newspaper you read in the morning?

Paul: I read The Times for the strong comment section, I subscribe to Bloomberg and watch the Bloomberg Channel and CNBC. I have taken Twitter off my phone - that was my go to news source for years. Am trying to read more books and less politics.

Laura: What is your favourite movie and why?

Paul: Star Wars was my childhood obsession. I liked the good versus evil aspect of the freedom loving Rebel Alliance against the authoritarian Empire. At Disney in California I was a passenger with my daughters on the new hi-tech ride, which is immersive with actors and has out of this world special effects. When they piloted the Millenium Falcon into hyperspace after battling off an Imperial attack, I was misty eyed.

Laura: Many thanks to you again for Paul and for your two decades of keeping politicians in line.

(Editor. Paul Staines is being sued by Dale Vance for alleged defamation, you can donate to that legal defence here.)