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The Little Book of Bell

Like every pronouncement by the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties thereafter, Bell's Campbell-prepared statement was based on David Leigh's fabricated charges listed on page 17 of that morning's Guardian.
    But Alastair Campbell wasn't the only person who was worried by Bell's inept performance on Knutsford Heath.  Because if Martin Bell - the man standing against corruption - couldn't think of one reason why he was standing, it might start to dawn on ordinary folk that the whole thing was a media charade.  And that worried Alan Rusbridger and his poisonous political staff.
    Rusbridger immediately dispatched David Leigh and Leigh's co-author of 'Sleaze', Ed Vulliamy, up to Knutsford to brief Bell on the 'wrongdoing' allegations they'd conjured up.  A phone call was duly put in from The Guardian and Martin Bell agreed to meet Leigh and his old pal from Bosnia the following day.
    Later that evening, ensconced in the Longview Hotel's basement, Bell and his followers watched the day's events on the BBC's Nine O' Clock News.  As he witnessed his emasculation by Christine Hamilton, he must have realised just how much he needed The Guardian's help.  Before the end of the programme, newsreader Peter Sissons linked up again with the BBC's political correspondent, Nicholas Jones, who had been waiting outside the Dixon Arms, Chelford, for the outcome of Hamilton's re-selection vote by the Tatton Tories. Jones read out the news:
    'Well, there were 282 party members at this meeting, and 182 voted for Neil Hamilton, for his re-selection.  He failed to get the support of 100 of the members who were here, and 35 of them actually voted against Mr Hamilton.  The other 65 abstained.'
    If the abstentions are discounted, this equates to 83% of the vote.  Even if the abstentions are treated as dissenters, Neil Hamilton still polled 65% - a remarkable vote of confidence from the people that knew him best.  Jones continued:
    'So you see it was a resounding victory for Neil Hamilton, who has. . .' But before Jones could finish, Bell snapped at the TV set.
    'But!. . . What do you mean!!!  It doesn't sound resounding to me!!  That's not resounding!'

The following morning of Wednesday 9 April 1997, Martin Bell went walkabout in nearby Wilmslow. The majority of passers by wished him well. But then one constituent confronted him, Christine Hamilton-fashion:

'Why don't you stick to reporting?' He asked.  'You're very good at that.  Do you think you've been set up by the other parties?'  Bell was taken aback.
    'No. I don't,' he said.  'I felt that there was a demand inside the constituency otherwise I wouldn't have come.'
    'Do you have any fundamental beliefs?'
    'Yes, I do.'
    'What are they?'
    'I'm going to talk about other issues after the nomination.'
    'Such as?'
    'I'm going to talk about education…'
    'What do you know about education? . . What experience have you had?'
    'Well, what about having two children?'
    'Yes, but I mean in terms of being a politician, what experience have you had?  I mean, surely the electors of Tatton want a professional politician representing their interests?'
    'I think there's an up-side and a down-side.'

David Leigh & Ed Vulliamy, authors of The Guardian's book Sleaze, arrive in Tatton on 9 April 1997 to advise Bell on 'wrongdoing' allegations that Leigh had concocted against Neil Hamilton. It is rumoured that Vulliamy has since disowned himself from the book, which was written almost entirely by Leigh (BBC TV May 1997).

It was the second time in two days that Martin Bell had been humiliated in front of the cameras.  Later, back at the Longview, Bell watched the confrontation go out on the BBC lunchtime news.  Furious, he immediately phoned up the BBC in London to complain.
    'Is that the One O' Clock News?...this is Martin Bell…this is a call I never thought I was going to make…you're bloody right it is.  I do my first walkabout in Wilmslow, I have twenty-five in favour and three against and you give me just one of the three against!  What kind of journalism is that!  How can you defend it?…okay, will you send my protests to the non-journalist involved.  I'm going to denounce you in 45 minutes.  I really am.  I'm resigning from the BBC and if that's the BBC journalism well fuck him, you know.  Bastards!! Bastards!!  Tell them to watch it!.'

Bell's vile reaction was unwarranted and reprehensible.  As a journalist, he of all people should have appreciated that his Wilmslow confrontation with 'Tory constituent' was far more newsworthy than the many casual salutations from passers-by that he, as a media-fêted media personality, would have expected to receive.  As for his attempt to intimidate his colleagues on the One O' Clock news team…

A little later, Bell received another call from Paddy Ashdown, who phoned to see how his new 'independent' candidate was getting on (answer: holding his own until The Guardian got there).
    That afternoon, the BBC cameras captured Guardian journalists David Leigh & Ed Vulliamy walking up the steps of the Longview Hotel to give Bell a full briefing on the thirteen allegations that they had drummed up, which appeared in the previous morning's paper.  Suitably armed thereafter with enough information on Hamilton's 'wrongdoing' to head off any further grilling, Bell was as good as elected.  That is, once the two other candidates had withdrawn officially.

Later that evening outside Wilmslow High School, Martin Bell and Melissa stood among the Press pack to hear Tony Blair's deputy, John Prescott, read out a statement:
    'The meeting tonight of the Tatton Constituency Labour Party, overwhelmingly endorsed the withdrawal of Jon Kelly as the Labour candidate, on the condition that the Liberal Democrats confirm their intention to support the candidature of Martin Bell.'

Chapter Two, Part Two

Chapter Two, Part Four