Hall ?ts the bill as northern editor

The Financial Times is placing more emphasis on its coverage of the UK regions and has appointed veteran journalist William Hall as northern editor.

UK affairs editor Roger Blitz said: “For some years we’ve had a strong regional presence. As well as London and the South East, we have reporters in the Midlands, the West Country, northern England, the North East, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

“As part of our relaunch we want to emphasise that more strongly and to give national stories a strong regional dimension. When house prices ?uctuate, how does that look across the country? When transport issues are raised, how does that look?” He said: “I try to push that through the various parts of the paper, but mainly through the news pages – I try to make sure the UK news editor is aware of it.”

Hall has been with the FT for nearly 30 years and has previously been a correspondent in New York, editor of the Observer column, co-head of the Lex column, banking correspondent and shipping correspondent. He will be based in Manchester.

Blitz said: “Bill is one of the most experienced journalists on the FT, and his wide expertise in a variety of ?elds in business journalism will give us a strong edge in our coverage of the north west, Yorkshire and Humberside.”

Hall replaces Sheila Jones, who has been made night news editor in New York.