Ian Aitken

Who is Ian Aitken?

Ian Aitken is a British journalist and political commentator. He was educated at the King Alfred School, Hampstead, Lincoln College, Oxford and the LSE. He served in the Fleet Air Arm from 1945-48.

Aitken entered journalism in 1953 as the industrial correspondent of the Tribune newspaper, after a spells as a HM inspector of factories and a trade union official. The following year he joined the Daily Express and filled a number of positions at the paper before joining The Guardian in 1964. From 1975 to 1990 he was The Guardian's political editor.

He now writes occasional columns for that paper and for Tribune. Politically he is 'traditional' left-of-centre, being against the Iraq War, and having accused 'New Labour' of having 'hijacked' the Labour Party.

Ian Aitken's father, George, fought with the Republican side in the Spanish Civil War.