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Given that Martin Bell has done nothing to help Neil Hamilton, it can be seen that these utterances are more faithful indicators of the man's nature than his pledges of support in the press and in front of the cameras outside the Commons months later.
On January 23 1998, the Mirror broke the story that Martin Bell had benefited from £9,400 of legal advice that had been paid for by the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties, but which he had not declared, contrary to electoral law. Bell gave notice of a Press conference in Knutsford that lunchtime to answer the Mirror's charges. So, in order to test his pledges of support to Neil Hamilton and his opinion that 'there has to be manifest justice', Jonathan Boyd Hunt, author of Trial by Conspiracy, drove to Knutsford to attend Martin Bell's Press conference.
In the full glare of live Sky TV cameras, Hunt interrupted the conference and gave Bell a copy of a report into the allegations against Hamilton, compiled by Hunt and his colleague, Malcolm Keith-Hill. Bell promised to read it. But though the report contained copious evidence that Neil Hamilton had been the victim of a frame-up by corrupt journalists, and despite Bell living across the street from Hunt's parents in Great Budworth (where Hunt moved to write Trial by Conspiracy), he has not used Hunt's research to take up Hamilton's case in Parliament, nor has he contacted Hunt to view the evidence or request a debriefing.
Since that confrontation, Jonathan Boyd Hunt has lobbied Bell a number of times to examine his research into the 'cash for questions' affair, and the evidence that he and his partner unearthed vindicating Neil Hamilton of all essential charges. Hunt's most recent approach was made to Bell on Fathers' Day, Sunday 18 June 2000, when he chanced across Bell in Great Budworth, whilst visiting his parents. Once again, Hunt asked Bell to examine the evidence that proves Hamilton is the victim of a massive conspiracy. Bell declined and walked off, with the parting comment 'I'm happy being an MP, thank you.'
Bell's pledges of support for Hamilton simply do not tally with his lack of support. Bell's denials that he stood on 'cash for questions' do not tally with the facts either. Nor, for that matter, does Bell's carefully-cultivated, homely image of reasonableness stand up to scrutiny. The fact is, Martin Bell is not reasonable and dispassionate, but is instead a hot-headed political animal who has a propensity to jump to conclusions and condemn people, especially Conservatives, out of pique. And if you upset him you can expect a rather strong response.
On the BBC's 'Mr Bell goes to Westminster', Bell's temper was exposed. He called his colleagues at the BBC 'bastards' (twice); threatened to publicly denounce a BBC journalist; and even referred to Christine Hamilton as an 'attack bitch'. However, these comments were made during the heat of Bell's election campaign and he must have been under at least some duress.
But this did not apply in the case of Martin Bell's treatment of the Reverend Derek Mills....
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