Antony Jay

Sir Antony Rupert Jay, CVO, CBE (20 April 1930 – 21 August 2016) was an English writer, broadcaster, and director, famous for co-authoring, with Jonathan Lynn, the British political comedies Yes Minister and Yes, Prime Minister (1980–88). He wrote The Householder's Guide to Community Defence Against Bureaucratic Aggression (1972).

Jay had a distinguished career as a broadcaster and in public relations, for which he was created a Knight Bachelor in 1988. He also wrote the BBC television documentary Royal Family and co-wrote Elizabeth R, for which he was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) for personal services to the Royal Family.

Early life and education

He was educated at St Paul's School and Magdalene College, Cambridge, graduating with first-class honours in classics and comparative philology.

Career

After national service in the Royal Signals, he joined BBC Television in 1955, and was a member of the team that launched the current affairs programme Tonight, of which he was editor from 1962-63. From 1963-64 he was Head of Television Talk Features, before leaving the BBC to take up a career as a freelance writer and producer. He was knighted in 1988 and remained a mordant observer of politics, including those of the broadcasters themselves. He was interviewed in the BBC TV documentary series Tory! Tory! Tory! and The Trap. Jay was a partner with John Cleese in the Video Arts training film production company.

In 2007 Jay criticised the anti-establishment thinking of the BBC and similar media outlets such as The Guardian. He stated "we were not just anti-Macmillan; we were anti-industry, anti-capitalism, anti-advertising, anti-selling, anti-profit, anti-patriotism, anti-monarchy, anti-Empire, anti-police, anti-armed forces, anti-bomb, anti-authority. Almost anything that made the world a freer, safer and more prosperous place, you name it, we were anti it." In particular he criticised how the opinions of BBC staff "were at odds with the majority of the audience and the electorate".

His 2008 report for the Centre for Policy Studies How to Save the BBC provoked fierce debate by advocating a radical reduction of the scale of the corporation's activities. He has written Management & Machiavelli and compiled the Oxford Dictionary of Political Quotations.

Jay died on 21 August 2016 at the age of 86.