{{Short description|British investigative journalist and writer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}} {{Use British English|date=September 2016}} '''David Hencke''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|ɛ|ŋ|k|iː}} {{Respell|HENK|ee}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XgweL6BXlI|title=David Hencke LIVESTREAM 5pm 12th Jan|work=YouTube|date=January 12, 2022|accessdate=2 December 2022}}</ref>) is a British investigative journalist and writer, named "Political Journalist of the Year" at the 2012 [[British Press Awards]].
==Career== Hencke began as a student journalist in 1965 at [[Warwick University]] as editor of its first university newspaper, ''Giblet'', while studying history and politics. In 1968 he worked for the ''[[Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph]]'', then in 1971 joined the ''[[Western Mail (Wales)|Western Mail]]'' in Cardiff and in 1973 the ''[[Times Higher Education Supplement]]''.<ref name=davidhencke-bio>{{cite web |url=https://davidhencke.com/about/ |title=My Career so far... |date=7 November 2009 |publisher=David Hencke |accessdate=13 August 2018}}</ref>
Hencke joined ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 1976,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/profile/davidhencke|title = David Hencke | the Guardian| website=[[TheGuardian.com]] }}</ref> becoming the newspaper's Westminster Correspondent in 1986. He has won numerous awards for his political coverage.<ref name="guardian-20090619">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/jun/19/duncan-campell-david-hencke-guardian |title=Duncan Campbell and David Hencke among those leaving Guardian |author=Stephen Brook |newspaper=The Guardian |date=19 June 2009 |accessdate=27 December 2013}}</ref>
In 1994 he was named ''[[What the Papers Say]]'' Journalist of the Year for his investigation that uncovered the "[[Cash-for-questions affair]]". His exposé led to the bankruptcy of Ian Greer Associates, one of the country’s biggest lobbying companies, and the resignations of two junior ministers, [[Neil Hamilton (politician)|Neil Hamilton]] and [[Tim Smith (British politician)|Tim Smith]].<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/uk/1999/dec/22/hamiltonvalfayed "Chronology - How the scandal unfolded"], ''The Guardian'', 22 December 1999]</ref><ref name="pg-20130219">{{cite news |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/david-hencke-leveson-would-have-seriously-damaged-cash-questions-story |title=David Hencke: Leveson would have 'seriously damaged' cash-for-questions investigation |author=William Turvill |newspaper=Press Gazette |date=19 February 2013 |accessdate=22 April 2013}}</ref>
In 1998, Hencke won "Scoop of the Year" for a story that caused the first resignation of [[Peter Mandelson]], over a secret undeclared £373,000 home loan given to him by fellow Treasury minister, [[Geoffrey Robinson (politician)|Geoffrey Robinson]].
In 2009, Hencke took voluntary redundancy from ''The Guardian'' after 33 years. He works as the Westminster correspondent for ''[[Tribune (magazine)|Tribune]]'' and an investigative journalist for the (now closed) ''[[Exaro]]'' website.<ref name="pg-20130219"/>
In 2012, Hencke was named "Political Journalist of the Year" at the [[British Press Awards]].<!--<ref>[http://www.exaronews.com/articles/4752/exaro-s-david-hencke-scoops-political-award ''Exaro'', 5 December 2012--><ref>[http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/david-walsh-scoops-journalist-year-win-british-journalism-awards "David Walsh scoops Journalist of the Year win at British Journalism Awards"], ''Press Gazette'', 4 December 2012.</ref><ref name="pg-20130322">{{cite news |url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/how-david-hencke-exposed-whitehall-tax-avoidance-scandal |title=How David Hencke exposed Whitehall tax avoidance scandal |author=William Turvill |newspaper=Press Gazette |date=22 March 2013 |accessdate=27 December 2013}}</ref>
In 2014, Hencke was longlisted for the [[Orwell Prize]] for political journalism.<ref>[http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/investigative-site-exaro-news-among-nominations-orwell-prize-political-journalism-award "Investigative site Exaro News among nominations for Orwell Prize political journalism award"], ''Press Gazette'', 26 March 2014.</ref>
Hencke manages his blog Westminster Confidential on which he publishes "news, views, investigations and much more",<ref>{{Cite web|title=Westminster Confidential|url=https://davidhencke.com/|access-date=2021-06-28|website=Westminster Confidential|language=en}}</ref> and regularly contributes to ''[[Byline Times]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Byline Times: David Hencke|url=https://bylinetimes.com/author/davidhencke/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190626160715/https://bylinetimes.com/author/davidhencke/ |archive-date=26 June 2019 }}</ref>
==Libel==
Former MP [[John Hemming (politician)|John Hemming]] ([[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]), who had been falsely accused of abuse in an article in the [[Exaro]] website by Hencke, succeeded in a [[libel]] action against him in January 2019, resulting in Hencke and Graham Wilmer of the [[Lantern Project]] paying over £10,000 in compensation for the false allegations.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/27/former-mp-falsely-accused-abuse-wins-libel-action/ |title=Former MP falsely accused of abuse wins libel action |first=Martin |last=Evans |date=27 January 2019 |access-date=28 July 2019 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location= London}}</ref> In August 2019, [[Staffordshire Police]] confirmed that they were investigating whether Hemming's accuser, Esther Baker, had misled detectives.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-49349089 |title=Esther Baker: Police investigate woman who said MPs abused her |date=14 August 2019 |access-date=16 August 2019 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
==Books== * David Hencke (1976) ''Colleges in Crisis'' * David Hencke and [[Francis Beckett]] (2004) ''The Blairs and their court'' * David Hencke (2004) ''Marching to the Fault Line'', which examined the 1984 miners' strike * David Hencke and Francis Beckett (2005) ''The Survivor: Tony Blair in peace and war''
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.davidhencke.wordpress.com/ David Hencke’s blog] *[https://www.theguardian.com/profile/davidhencke/ Story archive on the Guardian] *[http://www.exaronews.com/author/david-hencke/ Story archive on ''Exaro''] *[http://journalisted.com/david-hencke/ Articles listed on Journalisted] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20111202063732/http://www.exaronews.com/ Exaro, the investigative news website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hencke, David}} [[Category:British male journalists]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:The Guardian journalists]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Warwick]] [[Category:1940s births]] [[Category:20th-century British male writers]] [[Category:21st-century British male writers]]