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Blunkett to be guest of honour at NCTJ dinner

Former Home secretary David Blunkett has been named as the guest of hour at next month’s National Council for the Training of Journalists awards dinner.

The dinner, to be held during the Journalism Skills Conference, will see prizes handed out for the annual NCTJ awards for excellence.

This year’s conference is being held in Mr Blunkett’s home city of Sheffield where he was council leader in the 1980s.

In those days, it was dubbed ‘The People’s Republic of South Yorkshire,’ but Mr Blunkett’s politics mellowed with age and he eventually became a key figure in Tony Blair’s New Labour government.

As well as his parliamentary work, David has written a column for The Sun and has in the past worked as an advisor on social responsibility for News International (now News UK).

It emerged during the recent phone hacking trial that he had his personal voicemails intercepted by the NI-owned News of the World while he was a cabinet minister.

The Journalism Skills Conference takes place on Thursday, 27 and Friday, 28 November. Tickets for the awards dinner and the conference sessions can be booked on the NCTJ website

The shortlist for the excellence awards can be seen here.