dʒˈɑːn bˈɜːt, ðˈɛn dᵻɹˈɛktɚdʒˈɛnɚɹəl ʌvðə bˌiːbˌiːsˈiː, ɹˈoʊt ɪnðə tˈaɪmz:hiː wʌzɐ suːpˈɜːb pəlˈɪɾɪkəl dʒˈɜːnəlˌɪst hˌuː ˌʌndɚstˈʊd wʌt mˈoʊɾᵻvˌeɪɾᵻd ðə pˌɜːsənˈælᵻɾiz ænd ðə plˈeɪɚz ɔnðə pəlˈɪɾɪkəl stˈeɪdʒ; hˌuː hæd ɐ pɹəfˈaʊnd ænd diːtˈeɪld ˌʌndɚstˈændɪŋ ʌv ˈɔːl ðə kˈiː pˈɑːlɪsi ˈɪʃuːz æt hˈoʊm ænd ɐbɹˈɔːd; ænd hˌuː hæd ɐ ʃˈɑːɹp ɡɹˈæsp ʌv hˌaʊ ðiːz plˈeɪd ˌɪntʊ ðə pəlˈɪɾɪkəl pɹˈɑːsɛs.
John Birt, then director-general of the BBC, wrote in The Times:He was a superb political journalist who understood what motivated the personalities and the players on the political stage; who had a profound and detailed understanding of all the key policy issues at home and abroad; and who had a sharp grasp of how these played into the political process.