He grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb, and went to Whitefield School, a former secondary-modern turned comp just the other side of the North Circular from Brent Cross. He went to Bristol University, to study Politics and Economics, have failed to follow brother Simon to Oxford. He was captain of the 1st XI football team, wrote for the student paper, Epigram (under editor James Landale - now Diplomatic Correspondent at the BBC; another Beeboid, Laura Trevelyan was also on his politics course).
From Bristol, he applied to Procter & Gamble, and failed where Tim Davie succeeded. His alternative was a year-long course in periodical journalism at City University; and thence to the Daily Mail as a business reporter. Thence to the FT, Sunday Times, Telegraph, News International and Dow Jones.
He's connected. Elder brother Simon is a top PR, moving through SG Warburg, Natwest and Centrica to serve as the Queen's comms boss for two years, then performing the same role for Gordon Brown at No 10. Robert Peston has been a neighbour and chum in Muswell Hill. And Lewis has taken two loyal lieutenants, Rhydian Wynn Davies and Chris Lloyd, from the Telegraph to News UK to Dow Jones on each move - will Sir David make space for them ?
Perhaps a productive line of questioning might be on Will's relationship with Rupert Murdoch. Will joined News UK post-phone hacking, and, through the infamous Management and Standards Committee, indirectly supplied the police with information from the emails of many journalists who may or may have not behaved less than ethically entirely without the knowledge, sanction or direction of their various editors.
Will kept nearly to London hours at the Wall Street Journal, and said of Murdoch “He reads [The Wall Street Journal] every day. He’s a fan and he’s been brilliant to me in taking a real punt." Will is a West Ham supporter, and enjoys singing Bohemian Rhapsody at karaoke parties.
- Will is a news man, and his appearance in the runners and riders will raise alarm bells in BBC News. His period of digital disruption at The Telegraph saw circulation fall from 900k to 680k, and 150 hacks were made redundant.
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