Better to be a cat: how to be a political journalist

This article by Spectator assistant editor Isabel Hardman is based on a talk she gave at Polis, LSE. In it she explains what it’s like to be a Westminster lobby journalist, how to get scoops and what it takes to be a political correspondent in one of the world’s most competitive news beats. She argues that starting out on a very untrendy trade magazine gave her the right training. But while political intelligence and guile are vital assets what really gets her stories is an insatiable and independent-minded curiosity about people.