John Pienaar

A well-connected and respected figure at the heart of the Westminster scene for two decades, both on Radio 5 Live and BBC television, John combines sublime explanation of the key themes of politics with the authority of a seasoned insider. Described by the Radio 5 Live’s controller as 'a political heavyweight with huge credibility in the Westminster area’, John finds direction and meaning in the whirlwind of government spin, making him an ideal after-dinner and keynote political speaker.

John originally trained at the South London Press, making his name as a versatile wordsmith covering topics including urban crime, sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. His varied career even led to him writing an angling column without having ever held a fishing rod in his life. John went on to join The Independent in 1986 at its launch as a Political Correspondent – as part of the late Tony Bevin’s original team, he penned the cutting and often controversial parliamentary sketch The Westminster Diary.

In the early 1990s, he became the political correspondent for The Guardian in the Press Gallery of the House of Commons, before joining the BBC and remaining there until this day. John’s extensive career enables him to talk incisively about Westminster politics without pulling any punches, making him a highly respected and inspirational political speaker.

"John was superb at our event last week. He got the brief exactly right, hitting the sweet spot between political insight and entertainment." - Deloitte

"John recently spoke at our encumbent President's Luncheon, to guest from our Association, the construction industry and press. Having arrived from Prime Minister's Question Time, his commentary was timely, humorous and greatly enjoyed by our guests. Delightful!" - Building & Engineering Services Association

"Thank you for your excellent speech. Our guests all really enjoyed hearing your insights and you certainly didn’t need me to ask a question to get the room going. The feedback has been amazing and a number of people who don’t normally attend had accepted on the basis that you were speaking." - Deloitte LLP