David Cracknell

David Cracknell is a media and reputation management expert and former journalist in the United Kingdom. Formerly Political Editor of The Sunday Times, he is currently head of his own public relations firm, Big Tent Communications. The PR Week Powerbook of the most influential PRs describes him as "ambitious, pragmatic"

Early Life

Cracknell attended Forest School in London and later went on to attain a 1st Class Law Degree followed by a Bachelor of Civil Law at Pembroke College, Oxford. At Oxford, he was active on Cherwell, the Oxford University Student Newspaper, where he became a senior editor.

Journalism Career

Prior to launching his own consultancy in 2008, he covered politics for newspapers for over 15 years, including stints at the Sunday Telegraph, Press Association and finally being Political Editor at The Sunday Times. He also helped found Sunday Business with Jeff Randall in 1998.

During his long service of seven years as Political Editor of The Sunday Times, Cracknell broke "an extraordinary run of Whitehall scoops" which exposed Tony Blair's government. [[1]].

Alastair Campbell claims in his memoirs to have had lunch with Cracknell at the Savoy in discussions over his "post No.10 memoirs". [[2]]

In May 23, 2004 he revealed the doubts of Foreign Secretary Jack Straw that tactics in Iraq were "heavy handed". [[3]]

His big scoop came in April 2004 when he revealed a series of leaked Cabinet papers on David Blunkett's plan to introduce compulsory ID cards [[4]]

On August 8, 2004 The Sunday Times reported that Sir David Omand, the UK's intelligence and security coordinator, had reported to a meeting of the whole British cabinet that Cracknell's leaks of Cabinet concerns on ID cards and Iraq had led to a £1m inquiry. [[5]]

Cracknell obtained a leaked document, which was written by Campbell, on the eve of the 2005 general election which claimed that Labour was "home and dry". [[6]]

Prior to leaving The Sunday Times, he hired Isabel Oakeshott as his deputy [[7]]

Business Career

Following his departure from The Sunday Times, he was a Managing Director at PR firm FD, formerly Financial Dynamics, as well as being Chairman of its public affairs division, where he advised Northern Rock on its recovery plan following the bank being taken into public ownership. He left in August 2008 to found his own communications firm, Big Tent Communications, of which he is Managing Director.

He is also a Director of The Enterprise Forum. A whole cabinet meeting was devoted to the problem of leaks by The Sunday Times. Cracknell also exposed a memo by Alastair Campbell during the 2005 general election. [[8]]

He was listed in the PR Week Powerbook, a "collection of the most powerful people in PR".

Cracknell, while advising former President Saakashvili of Georgia in the aftermath of the August 2008 invasion by Russia, is cited by The Guardian newspaper as having stopped a new war with a single text message. [9]

Personal Life

Cracknell lives in London and East Sussex and is married with three children.

In 2007 Cracknell played piano on a single by Gabrielle and Paul Weller called "Why".

External links

• Big Tent Communications
• Career biography at Linkedin.com