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BBC advertise for new Laura K

JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Roll up, roll up: the biggest prize in political journalism is up for grabs. Laura Kuenssberg is stepping down as BBC political editor after more than six-and-a-half years, which means a bun fight over who gets to replace her. Highly-rated internal candidates include Jon Sopel and Alex Forsyth, after the favourite, Kuenssberg’s deputy Vicki Young, ruled herself out of the race. The job advert went live six hours ago so Mr S has been taking a dive into what the corporation wants from its political editor in 2022.

Scoop-getting is clearly top of the bill, with the Beeb demanding ‘a strong track record of breaking stories first’ and ‘an extensive contacts book at the most senior level of government.’ The main focus of the role is apparently to ‘break the best political stories from Westminster and around the UK’ – a job no doubt made easier by the successful candidate possessing ‘the highest level of editorial judgment under pressure.

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