Wishing Glen Oglaza a speedy return to our TV screens

Via Twitter I was alerted yesterday to the departure from Sky News of political correspondent Glen Oglaza.

I have never been interviewed by Glen but I often saw him in the Sky newsroom at Millbank studios close to Parliament Square.

Occasionally I would see him on College Green, opposite the Palace of Westminster, enjoying a crafty cigarette.

But that's not the reason I would say hello. I knew Glen because he and I were at university together.

It was quite a shock when, years later, I saw him on television. The name may have been familiar but the man was unrecognisable.

The Glen Oglaza I knew had long hair and a beard. Softly spoken, he seemed a bit of a hippy.

In my final year he was elected president of Aberdeen Students Union (not to confused with the Students' Representative Council, which was the political wing).

Even then I knew him only to say hello to, but Glen was always modest and friendly. No-one, so far as I know, had a bad word to say about him which was unusual because at that time (the late Seventies) the university was a hotbed of warring student politicians.

Glen stood apart from all that. He was a true independent and to this day I couldn’t tell you what his politics are, which is how it should be if you’re reporting the news.

A few years ago - at a LibDem conference in Bournemouth - he unwittingly came to my aid when I was being harangued by an anti-smoking nutter outside the conference centre.

I was handing out flyers on the promenade and Glen was on a balcony above me, ear glued to his mobile phone.

He was obviously trying to work but the noise the nutter was making made it difficult if not impossible for him to hear the person on the other end.

Eventually, and completely out of character, Glen exploded and shouted at the man to shut up (or words to that effect).

The noise ceased. Glen went back to his call and I continued distributing leaflets.

I hope to see him at many more party conferences. He may not have the profile of some political correspondents but news organisations need dedicated, self-effacing professionals like Glen Oglaza.

As many of the warm and affectionate comments on Twitter suggest, I am not alone in wishing him a speedy return to our television screens.

See also: Goodbye Glen Oglaza (Guido Fawkes), Political correspondent Glen Oglaza leaves Sky News (TV Newsroom)

Comments

[Gary Rogers]

He got in my Taxi some time ago, I dropped him of at Millbank tower, I recognized him straight away.