Political media expert and columnist John Bishop dies after brain aneurysm

Political expert John Bishop has died after suffering a brain aneurysm.

John Bishop, a political veteran and father of National Party Minister Chris Bishop, has died.

The columnist died after being rushed to ICU with a brain aneurysm, a post to Facebook written by the family said. He died on Friday.

“John suffered an unsurvivable bleed from a ruptured aneurysm in the brain on Wednesday evening and was rushed to ICU, deeply unconscious.”

The post said he died “peacefully” with his family by his side.

“We are bereft. It is hard to take in that this intelligent, funny, loving man is no longer a part of our everyday lives but we are also so immensely grateful for the wonderful kindness and care of ambulance and Wellington hospital staff, to John and to us.”

During his career, Bishop worked as a journalist for Radio New Zealand and as chief parliamentary correspondent at TVNZ.

He was also the Wellington correspondent for the National Business Review.

Later in his career, he had a public and corporate relations firm and had a blog for writing about his travels. His most recent endeavour was being a columnist for the Dominion Post.

Bishop was also the inaugural chairperson of the lobby group the Taxpayers’ Union.

The co-founders of the Taxpayers’ Union, David Farrar and Jordan Williams, said Bishop was always “calm, collected and thoughtful”.

“[Bishop] should be saluted for having the guts to front the Taxpayers’ Union in its infancy, knowing full well that it posed a reputational risk,” Farrar said.

“[Bishop’s] steady and wise counsel for me over the last 11 years will be deeply missed,” Williams said.

“[Bishop] was a remarkable New Zealander. On behalf of the whole organisation, we express our deepest sympathies to Rosemary, Eleanor, Christopher, and the wider family.”