Peter Jay, journalist and diplomat, dies aged 87

Peter Jay, a past economics reporter for the BBC and diplomat, has passed away at the age of 87, according to an announcement from his family.

After his passing on Sunday, when he "peacefully at home," colleagues from the political and media spheres expressed their condolences. Jay was regarded as one of the leading economic commentators in the country during his era, having served as the economics editor for both the BBC and The Times.

He also served as a host for ITV's Weekend World, was the chairman at the start of the TV company TV-am, held a director position at the Bank of England, and worked as Robert Maxwell's chief of staff for three and a half years.

Jay's family expressed in a statement: "He was deeply cherished as a husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin, friend, and coworker."

In 1977, he was controversially named the UK ambassador to Washington by his father-in-law, James Callaghan, who was the prime minister at the time. This move sparked protests from the Conservative Party, accusing him of favoritism.

David Owen, who served as foreign secretary back then, remarked: "Jim Callaghan wasn't on good terms with the current ambassador in Washington, so it was clear that a change was necessary."

“I had the freedom to choose someone who was more appropriate for the new Carter administration, especially [Zbigniew] Brzezinski, who was the national security adviser. I selected Peter Jay based on his qualifications, and I've never regretted that decision, even though I did caution the prime minister that allegations of favoritism might come up.”

Before long, he started playing tennis regularly with Brzezinski and got along well with the young Georgians who were close to the president. In every way, he demonstrated himself to be an outstanding representative.

Carter hailed from Georgia and had previously served as the state's governor before taking office as president.

Faisal Islam, who is currently the economics editor at the BBC, honored his predecessor with a message on social media.

Islam posted on X about a conversation with a colleague, where he jestingly mentioned that one of his intricate works was aimed at just three people, and he wasn’t among them. He recalled being present with LBJ and Okun when they defined recession, and expressed concern over the prevalent ‘prejudice against grasping the concept’.

Jay entered the world in February 1937, the child of Douglas Jay, who served as the president of the Board of Trade during Harold Wilson's time in office. His mother, Peggy, was a prominent figure in the London County Council.

Following his time in the Royal Navy, he earned a first-class honours degree in politics, philosophy, and economics from the University of Oxford. In 1961, he wed Margaret Callaghan in a ceremony held at the crypt chapel of the House of Commons.

Following two years in Washington from 1977 to 1979, the newly elected Conservative government decided to end Jay's tenure. During this period, it came to light that Margaret was involved in a romantic relationship with Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporter known for his role in uncovering the Watergate scandal.

Jay and Callaghan had one son and two daughters, but they parted ways in 1986.

The fallout from two failed marriages was captured in the book *Heartburn* written by Bernstein’s wife, Nora Ephron. This story later inspired a Hollywood movie in 1986 featuring Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson.

Further contributions from PA Media.