On the move

The BBC has appointed Faisal Islam, currently Sky News' political editor, as economics editor in succession to Kamal Ahmed.

Kamal was born in Moss Side, Manchester to parents arrived from Bengal. The family moved to Didsbury, where they ran a Post Office/newsagents. Faisal went to Manchester Grammar School and delivered papers at the weekends. His parents wanted him to be a doctor (that fell to his brother; his sister worked in BBC HR) but he got into Trinity College, Cambridge to study economics. He became President of the Junior Common Room, and went home weekends to help in the shop, watch Manchester United, and take to the floor of the Hacienda ("the world's coolest nightclub") for a little house music.

After Cambridge, he took a one-year course in newspaper journalism at City University, and then joined the Observer, initially as a researcher, rising swiftly to economics correspondent. In 2004, he moved to Channel 4, then made the switch to the political beat at Sky News in 2014.

He describes himself as a "numbers" man, but bought his first flat in 2007, just as the sub-prime mortage market was failing in the USA, leading to a world-wide recession. He was stopped and searched by police around King's Cross four times in the aftermath of the 2005 London bombings. He can now afford a Manchester United season ticket; he was honoured with the role of Junior Steward at the Old Mancunians annual dinner, and captained Trinity Alumni in the 2015/6 round of University Challenge.