Michael Cockerell
Encyclopedia
Michael Roger Lewis Cockerell (born 26 August 1940) is a British broadcaster and journalist.
Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
, Cockerell is the BBC
's most established political documentary
maker, with a long, Emmy award-winning career of political programmes spanning television and radio. For some years a reporter on the current affairs programme, Panorama
, he now specialises in in-depth documentaries on the politics and players of Westminster
. Most notably, he has made biographical profiles of Margaret Thatcher
, Edward Heath
, Alan Clark
, Barbara Castle
, Roy Jenkins
, Michael Howard
and David Cameron
.
Over the last decade, he has made a series of other documentaries. Among them are the How to Be trilogy (How to Be Chancellor, How to Be Foreign Secretary, How to Be Home Secretary); a three-part series on the history of Anglo-American, Anglo-German and Anglo-French relations; an observational documentary on the workings of Alastair Campbell
's press office in News from Number 10; and a three-part analysis of Tony Blair
's 10 years in office as Prime Minister
. Also he has presented a programme on How to be an ex Prime Minister, broadcast just before Blair's resignation.
One of Cockerell's recent series for the BBC is The Great Offices of State. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the Home Office
, the Foreign Office, and the UK Treasury, three of the UK's Great Offices of State
. This was followed by the 2011 series The Secret World of Whitehall.
In the run-up to the May 2010 elections, Cockerell released a documentary entitled How to Win the TV Debate in which he prophetically revealed the importance of Britain's first television debates in the outcome of the general election. The programme featured candid interviews with US presidents and their advisers on the tricks of the debate trade.
Cockerell has interviewed eight Prime Ministers - more than any other reporter in British political broadcasting. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he interviewed Tony Blair for his documentary on Britain's relationship with the United States
, Hotline to the President. That interview was widely reported on the front pages of British newspapers when Tony Blair accepted that the need to sustain the transatlantic 'special relationship
' meant a willingness to 'pay the blood price'.
Michael was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East Anglia
in 2007.
and his wife Lady Caroline Faber
née Macmillan, a daughter of Harold Macmillan
. They had one son and one daughter.
He then married 1984 (div by 1991) Bridget Alexandra Heathcoat-Amory (b. 21 May 1952), daughter of Brigadier Roderick Heathcoat-Amory
and his wife Sonia Myrtle Heathcoat-Amory, née Denison. His second wife was full sister of the Tory MP David Heathcoat-Amory
, and sister-in-law of the 6th Earl Cairns
; they had two more daughters.
He has three more daughters with his partner Anna Lloyd, whom he married in August 2011.
Cockerell's family includes two siblings, six daughters, one son and four grandchildren. He lives in Notting Hill
with his partner Anna Lloyd and their three daughters.
Educated at Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Corpus Christi College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom...
, Cockerell is the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's most established political documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
maker, with a long, Emmy award-winning career of political programmes spanning television and radio. For some years a reporter on the current affairs programme, Panorama
Panorama (TV series)
Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
, he now specialises in in-depth documentaries on the politics and players of Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
. Most notably, he has made biographical profiles of Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
, Alan Clark
Alan Clark
Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark was a British Conservative MP and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Trade, and Defence, and became a privy counsellor in 1991...
, Barbara Castle
Barbara Castle
Barbara Anne Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn , PC, GCOT was a British Labour Party politician....
, Roy Jenkins
Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician.The son of a Welsh coal miner who later became a union official and Labour MP, Roy Jenkins served with distinction in World War II. Elected to Parliament as a Labour member in 1948, he served in several major posts in...
, Michael Howard
Michael Howard
Michael Howard, Baron Howard of Lympne, CH, QC, PC is a British politician, who served as the Leader of the Conservative Party and Leader of the Opposition from November 2003 to December 2005...
and David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
.
Over the last decade, he has made a series of other documentaries. Among them are the How to Be trilogy (How to Be Chancellor, How to Be Foreign Secretary, How to Be Home Secretary); a three-part series on the history of Anglo-American, Anglo-German and Anglo-French relations; an observational documentary on the workings of Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell
Alastair John Campbell is a British journalist, broadcaster, political aide and author, best known for his work as Director of Communications and Strategy for Prime Minister Tony Blair between 1997 and 2003, having first started working for Blair in 1994...
's press office in News from Number 10; and a three-part analysis of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's 10 years in office as Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
. Also he has presented a programme on How to be an ex Prime Minister, broadcast just before Blair's resignation.
One of Cockerell's recent series for the BBC is The Great Offices of State. It is a behind-the-scenes look at the Home Office
Home Office
The Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
, the Foreign Office, and the UK Treasury, three of the UK's Great Offices of State
Great Offices of State
The Great Offices of State in the United Kingdom are the four most senior and prestigious posts in the British parliamentary system of government. They are the Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary. Since 11 May 2010 these posts have been...
. This was followed by the 2011 series The Secret World of Whitehall.
In the run-up to the May 2010 elections, Cockerell released a documentary entitled How to Win the TV Debate in which he prophetically revealed the importance of Britain's first television debates in the outcome of the general election. The programme featured candid interviews with US presidents and their advisers on the tricks of the debate trade.
Cockerell has interviewed eight Prime Ministers - more than any other reporter in British political broadcasting. Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, he interviewed Tony Blair for his documentary on Britain's relationship with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Hotline to the President. That interview was widely reported on the front pages of British newspapers when Tony Blair accepted that the need to sustain the transatlantic 'special relationship
Special relationship
The Special Relationship is a phrase used to describe the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, following its use in a 1946 speech by British statesman Winston Churchill...
' meant a willingness to 'pay the blood price'.
Michael was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
in 2007.
Family
He first married 1970 (div 1981) Anne Christine Adriane Faber (1944-28 November 2002), eldest child and only daughter of Julian FaberJulian Faber
Julian Tufnell Faber was a leading figure in the insurance business.-Early life:He was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge. He served with the Welsh Guards during the Second World War.-Career:...
and his wife Lady Caroline Faber
Lady Caroline Faber
Lady Ann Caroline Macmillan is the daughter of Harold Macmillan and his wife Lady Dorothy Cavendish. She is the second of their four children, and since the death of her younger sister in 1991, she has been their only surviving child....
née Macmillan, a daughter of Harold Macmillan
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC was Conservative Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 10 January 1957 to 18 October 1963....
. They had one son and one daughter.
He then married 1984 (div by 1991) Bridget Alexandra Heathcoat-Amory (b. 21 May 1952), daughter of Brigadier Roderick Heathcoat-Amory
Heathcoat-Amory Baronets
The Heathcoat-Amory Baronetcy, of Knightshayes Court in Tiverton in the County of Devon, is a title in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 21 March 1874 for the businessman and Liberal politician John Heathcoat-Amory. Born John Amory, he was the maternal grandson of John...
and his wife Sonia Myrtle Heathcoat-Amory, née Denison. His second wife was full sister of the Tory MP David Heathcoat-Amory
David Heathcoat-Amory
David Philip Heathcoat-Amory is a British politician, accountant and farmer. He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Wells from 1983 until he lost his seat in the 2010 general election.-Education and professional life:...
, and sister-in-law of the 6th Earl Cairns
Earl Cairns
Earl Cairns is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1878 for the prominent lawyer and Conservative politician Hugh Cairns, 1st Baron Cairns. He was Lord Chancellor of the United Kingdom in 1868 and from 1874 to 1880...
; they had two more daughters.
He has three more daughters with his partner Anna Lloyd, whom he married in August 2011.
Cockerell's family includes two siblings, six daughters, one son and four grandchildren. He lives in Notting Hill
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is an area in London, England, close to the north-western corner of Kensington Gardens, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea...
with his partner Anna Lloyd and their three daughters.