Paul McNamee was appointed UK Editor of The Big Issue in summer 2011, the first time The Big Issue had a single editor across all national, regional and online editions. 

He started out on local newspapers in Northern Ireland, before co-founding Belfast-based Irish music magazine Blank with Colin Murray. He moved to the NME in London and following a number of years there he began writing for a series of newspapers and magazines, amongst them the Daily Mirror, The Guardian, Belfast Telegraph and The Irish Times.

He has been named British Editor of The Year in 2013 and 2016 by the BSME (British Society of Magazine Editors) and Magazine Editor of the Year three times by leading publishing industry body PPA Scotland. He served a two-year term as Chairman of PPA Scotland. He is a regular contributor on the BBC.

The Big Issue delivered an annual sales increase for three consecutive years in 2015, 2016 and 2017. It currently sells 78,449 copies per week across Britain.