Andreas Whittam Smith, the co-founder of the Independent newspaper and a former president of the British Board of Film Classification, has died aged 88. He was also the first editor of the Independent and served as first church estates commissioner, the senior lay member of the Church of England, from 2002 to 2017.
A family spokesperson said: “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Andreas Whittam Smith, co-founder of the Independent newspaper, on 29 November 2025, aged 88. He was surrounded by his family until the end and will be dearly missed. He is survived by his wife, Valerie; two sons, Benedict and Mark; and three grandsons.”
Much of Whittam Smith’s early career was spent in financial journalism, working at the Stock Exchange Gazette, the Financial Times and the Times. He went on to hold senior roles at the Daily Telegraph, the Guardian, the Investors Chronicle and the Stock Exchange Gazette. In 1986, together with Stephen Glover and Matthew Symonds, he launched the Independent, serving as its first editor until 1994.
In 1998, he was appointed president of the British Board of Film Classification. There, his achievements included allowing A Clockwork Orange and The Exorcist to be released on home video. He suggested that, one day, film classifications would disappear altogether. Whittam Smith was made a CBE in 2003 for services to the film industry, and was knighted in 2015 for public service, particularly to the Church of England.
Whittam Smith was born in Cheshire in June 1937. He was educated at Birkenhead school and studied philosophy, politics and economics at Keble College, Oxford. After national service, he worked at a stockbroking firm before moving into journalism. Amol Rajan, a former editor of the Independent, called him a “radical” and “pioneer”, saying: “Andreas profoundly transformed British journalism for the better, and forever.”
