[1][better source needed] Watt began his career as a political reporter based in Belfast working for The Times as Ireland Correspondent, covering the initial stages of the peace process.

[4] In 2016, Watt left The Guardian to become political editor of Newsnight on BBC Two, replacing Allegra Stratton.

[2] The editor of Newsnight at the time was also a former Guardian employee, Ian Katz, who said that Watt was "one of the most trusted, authoritative and engaging journalists in the country.

With a background in Northern Ireland, Europe and Westminster he's also uniquely equipped to guide viewers through an increasingly fractured and complex political landscape."

Footage of his treatment was widely shared on social media and condemned by Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel.