BBC chief political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg is to join ITV in the newly created role of business editor.

Kuenssberg, one of the TV stars of the BBC’s 2010 general election coverage, will join ITV in September and contribute to the broadcaster’s ITV1 bulletins and current affairs strand Tonight.

During her time at the BBC, Kuenssberg has reported for BBC News, Newsnight, the Today programme, and BBC Breakfast, as well as various presenting duties; most notably filling in for Jeremy Paxman on Newsnight, presenting the Daily Politics alongside Andrew Neil and anchoring the coverage of the aftermath of the 2010 leaders debates on the BBC. Before joining the corporation, she worked for Channel 4 News and NBC.

Kuenssberg said she was “delighted” to be moving to ITV; “The BBC has been an integral part of my life for more than a decade and I will always be grateful for the experiences I have been given.

“But while families round the UK cope with the squeeze and the country grapples with making its living, moving to cover British business is an even more exciting prospect. I’m really delighted to be joining ITV, and thrilled about the range of opportunities I’ll have as the ITV News business editor.”

ITV News editor Deborah Turness said: “Laura has an impressive track-record and I’ve admired her sharp journalism and drive. I can’t wait to see her talent flourish and grow with us in such a key position.”

She is also one of the most high profile UK journalists on Twitter, using the social networking service to deliver breaking news. Her professional account, @BBCLauraK, has almost 60,000 followers but she will be transferring to @ITVLauraK when she begins her new job.

This is the second time in as many months that Channel 4 and ITV News producer ITN has poached a top member of the BBC’s journalistic team; in May Channel 4 News hired Matt Frei, anchor of the BBC World News America, to be its Washington correspondent, and Newsnight’s Jackie Long to be social affairs editor.

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