The BBC has promoted business editor Kamal Ahmed to the role of economics editor, replacing Robert Peston who has become political editor at rival ITV News.
Ahmed has been at the BBC for just 18 months, but has been involved in a string of high-profile stories including the Panorama investigation into the accounting crisis at Tesco when the retailer was forced to announce a huge black hole in its profits.
Ahmed’s new role will see him expand his reporting to cover areas such as the Treasury and Bank of England, said BBC director of news and current affairs James Harding.
“The BBC’s economics editor is one of the most important jobs in journalism,” said Harding. “It requires close examination of the Treasury, the Bank of England and policy across government as well as the capacity to report the forces that shape the business environment, the global economy and all of our household budgets. I know that Kamal will bring intelligence and insight to that important task.”
Harding is understood to have been keen to appoint a big hitter to the role following a string of departures including Peston and two correspondents from Newsnight, political editor Allegra Stratton, who also joined ITV, and economics editor Duncan Weldon.
As well as heading ITV’s politics coverage across its news bulletins, Peston is set to front a new politics show on Sunday mornings to compete with The Andrew Marr Show.
Ahmed, a former Observer and Sunday Telegraph journalist, will begin his role with an interview with former Barclays boss Antony Jenkins on BBC Radio 4 on Thursday night.
He said: “I have had a wonderful time as business editor of the BBC and am delighted and privileged to be moving to this new, connected, role – bringing home the importance of economics to our UK and global audiences and covering the policy areas that affect our financial outlook on the world.
“Following the financial crisis, we are experiencing a fascinating and dislocating time in economics and politics, two areas so intimately related. I look forward to working with all my brilliant colleagues, doing our best to explain the economic world to the millions of people who turn to the BBC every day.”
