Weber Shandwick Worldwide has secured the services of Michael

Prescott, The Sunday Times political editor for the past four years.

Prescott is expected to join later this year, although it is not yet

clear whether he will join before or after the autumn party conference

season.

He will become WSW vice-chairman. Agency veteran Lord McNally is the

only previous holder of this title.

Prescott is expected to work across agency divisions on media relations

and political strategy.

He will be officially attached to the PA team and will effectively

report to that unit's CEO, Colin Byrne.

Prescott has been at the Sunday Times since 1992, first as home affairs

correspondent and lately on the politics beat. Before joining the paper,

he was a political correspondent for Granada TV, BBC Radio News, The

Daily Mirror - under current Downing Street director of communications

Alastair Campbell - and the Press Association.

He earned his spurs as a trainee reporter on the Coventry Evening

Telegraph in the early 1980s.

The move to WSW has raised some eyebrows in public affairs. While it was

rumoured Prescott would be leaving The Sunday Times, he had been linked

with a role as a partner in former Downing Street official Mark Adams'

fledgling PR and public affairs agency Foresight Communications.

Leader,p12.