The BBC has confirmed its television plans for covering the 2019 snap general election, with Huw Edwards at the helm on election night.
The BBC’s election coverage will put audiences at its heart, broadcasting from across the length and breadth of the UK to give voters the information they need to make their choice at the polls.
Huw Edwards will be the lead presenter for the BBC’s 2019 election night coverage. Huw has played a major role in the BBC’s election and political coverage over the decades and was formerly a political journalist in Westminster for 13 years.
BBC Director of News, Fran Unsworth, says: “Huw is the perfect presenter to have at the helm as a trusted and authoritative guide throughout election night. This is one of the most important – and unpredictable – elections for years. The BBC’s aim is simple: we want to give audiences the information they need to help them decide how to cast their vote. Over the next six weeks, we will broadcast from up and down the country to ensure political parties are scrutinised on their election pledges and we will give the audience the chance to hold them to account. In polarised times, the BBC is here for everyone in the UK.”
Huw Edwards says: “Our aim in BBC News is to provide the best possible service to voters in a very uncertain world. It is my job – both during the campaign and on the night – to guide viewers through the most important election for decades. I hope to put my 35 years of experience to good use and to offer our viewers a service they can trust.”
BBC Breakfast
BBC Breakfast will travel around the UK speaking to voters about the issues that matter to them. Over a morning cup of coffee from a specially converted BBC Breakfast Coffee Cart we will listen to what they have to say and put their concerns to senior politicians from all parties during the campaign.
Newsnight
BBC Newsnight has bid to host government departmental debates, where Treasury, Health, Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs ministers from each party will go head to head, chaired by Newsnight presenters Emily Maitlis, Kirsty Wark and Emma Barnett.
Newsnight will also host a special edition from Northern Ireland focusing on the Brexit proposals which affect it.
Victoria Derbyshire
The Victoria Derbyshire programme will be broadcasting a series of election blind dates, a discussion format between two public figures with opposing political points of view. Their coverage will also feature some 90-minute audience debates with voters and politicians.
Andrew Neil Interviews
The Andrew Neil Interviews will see Andrew interrogating party leaders in a prime-time TV slot.
Electioncast
Electioncast, an election-themed spin-off of the award-winning Brexitcast, will broadcast weekly on Radio 4 during the campaign, and be on the BBC News Channel with all episodes available on BBC Sounds, featuring Adam Fleming dissecting political developments with some of his Brexitcast colleagues.
Results Night
Huw Edwards will be the lead presenter of ‘BBC Election 2019’, alongside Reeta Chakrabarti, Andrew Neil, Tina Daheley and Jeremy Vine with his swingometer.
The 2019 election programme team will include BBC experts including Political Editor Laura Kuenssberg, Europe Editor Katya Adler, Economics Editor Faisal Islam, and Media Editor Amol Rajan, alongside Professor Sir John Curtice.
BBC presenters in key constituency locations, including Naga Munchetty, Andrew Marr, Martha Kearney, Nick Robinson and Lucy Manning will bring news and results from across the UK throughout the night.
Sarah Smith and Kirsty Wark will broadcast live from Scotland.
Sophie Raworth will analyse the results as they come in on a giant constituency map of the UK.
After polls close, the exit poll – and eventually the election result – will be projected onto Old Broadcasting House.
BBC News online will have results for every constituency as they come in with a postcode search, map and scoreboards.
For the first time the website will be using semi-automated journalism to write stories on the election results for all 650 constituencies in English and 40 in Welsh.
The BBC’s election Twitter bot @bbcelection will also tweet out every constituency result.
Friday’s coverage will see Emily Maitlis take the helm, with Clive Myrie broadcasting from Downing Street as it awaits the next Prime Minister.
The BBC Election 2019 programme will also feature the return of classic election theme tune, Rick Wakeman’s ‘Arthur’, in a newly remixed version.