Daniel Finkelstein OBE (born 30 August 1962) is a British journalist and former politician. He is Associate Editor of The Times, Chief Leader Writer and a weekly political columnist.
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Daniel Finkelstein graduated from the London School of Economics, where he studied economics & politics. He is a grandson of Alfred Wiener, a notable Jewish activist and founder of the renowned Wiener Library.
Between 1981 and 1990 Daniel Finkelstein was a member of the SDP, becoming Chair of the Young Social Democrats on the defection of his predecessor Keith Toussaint to the Conservative party during the 1983 general election campaign.[1] Subsequently he was elected youth representative on its National Committee, a Parliamentary candidate (Brent East 1987) and a close ally and adviser to David Owen, the SDP leader. When merger with the Liberals was proposed, Finkelstein was one of the leading opponents and refused to join the merged party. After Owen had announced his resignation from politics, Finkelstein was the spokesman for a group of young SDP members who, in February 1992, held a press conference with then Prime Minister John Major to mark their joining the Conservative party.
Before working for the Conservative Party, Daniel Finkelstein was Director of the think tank the Social Market Foundation for three years. During his period with the SMF the organisation brought New York police commissioner Bill Bratton to London, for the first time introducing UK politicians to the successful new strategies being used there. Between 1995 and 1997 Finkelstein was Director of the Conservative Research Department and in that capacity advised Prime Minister John Major and attended meetings of the Cabinet when it sat in political session. Finkelstein became among the earliest advocates of the modernisation of the Conservative Party, laying out the principles of change in a series of Times columns and speeches.
Between 1997 and 2001 he was political adviser to the Leader of the Opposition Rt Hon William Hague MP, and, together with George Osborne, Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet.
In the 2001 election Finkelstein was the unsuccessful Conservative parliamentary candidate in Harrow West.
Between 1990 and 1992 he was the editor of Connexion, Britain's first internet and data communications newspaper. Finklestein joined The Times in August 2001 as part of the leader writing team and was Comment Editor from March 2004 - June 2008. He became Chief Leader Writer in June 2008. In the autumn of 2002 he began writing the Fink Tank, a weekly statistical take on football. He began The Times blog Comment Central in September 2006. He is also a regular columnist in The Jewish Chronicle.
He was awarded the OBE in the 1997 honours list.
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