Editing Andrew Neil (section)

==Early life==
Neil was born on 21 May 1949<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/media/2002/jul/28/sundaytimes.comment|title=The Observer profile: Andrew Neil|date=27 July 2002|website=The Guardian}}</ref> in [[Paisley, Renfrewshire]], to Mary and James Neil.<ref>{{Citation|title=Neil, Andrew Ferguson|date=1 December 2007|url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-29278|work=Who's Who|publisher=Oxford University Press|language=en|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.u29278|isbn=978-0-19-954088-4|access-date=6 December 2019|url-access=subscription}}</ref> His mother worked in cotton mills during [[World War II]] and his father ran the wartime Cairo fire brigade, worked as an electrician and was a major in the [[Army Reserve (United Kingdom)|Territorial Army]] in Renfrewshire.<ref name="Riddell" /><ref name="indo">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/andrew-neil-i-am-a-better-journalist-than-i-am-a-businessman-6289841.html|title=Andrew Neil: 'I am a better journalist than I am a businessman'|access-date=1 May 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150430123444/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/andrew-neil-i-am-a-better-journalist-than-i-am-a-businessman-6289841.html|archive-date=30 April 2015}}</ref><ref>Wilby, Peter (2019)  More than a spectator: the rise of Andrew Neil, The New Statesman, 17 April</ref> He grew up in the [[Glenburn, Paisley|Glenburn]] area and attended the local Langcraigs Primary School. At 11, Neil passed the qualifying examination and obtained entrance to the selective [[Paisley Grammar School]].<ref>BBC Documentary – Posh and Posher: Why Public School Boys Run Britain.  First broadcast – BBC2 January 26, 2011 at 21:00 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y37gk#broadcasts {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227000606/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00y37gk#broadcasts |date=27 February 2011 }}</ref>

After school, Neil attended the [[University of Glasgow]],<ref name="bbcprofile" /> where he edited the student newspaper, the ''[[Glasgow University Guardian]]'', and dabbled in student television. He was a member of the [[Glasgow University Dialectic Society|Dialectic Society]] and the [[Glasgow University Conservative Association|Conservative Club]], and participated in [[Glasgow University Union]] inter-varsity debates. In 1971, he was chairman of the [[Federation of Conservative Students]]. He graduated in 1971, with an [[Master of Arts (Scotland)|MA]] with honours in political economy and political science.<ref name="bbcprofile" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.biogs.com/famous/neil.html|title=Andrew Neil biography from Biogs|website=Biogs|access-date=2 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110514091826/http://www.biogs.com/famous/neil.html|archive-date=14 May 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> He had been tutored by [[Vince Cable]] and had a focus on [[American history]].<ref>[http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/5346501/why-vince-cable-is-not-too-sexy-for-his-party.thtml Why Vince Cable is not too sexy for his party] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704132224/http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/5346501/why-vince-cable-is-not-too-sexy-for-his-party.thtml |date=4 July 2010 }} ''The Spectator'', 19 September 2009</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/24/huw-edwards-general-election-david-dimbleby|title=Huw Edwards to take over BBC general election role from David Dimbleby|last=Martinson|first=Jane|date=24 February 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=20 April 2017|issn=0261-3077|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531075705/https://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/feb/24/huw-edwards-general-election-david-dimbleby|archive-date=31 May 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>