Martin Bell: A Very British Revolution

Martin Bell, a hugely-respected former BBC reporter, Britain’s first Independent MP in 50 years and a tireless campaigner for trust in politics, had vowed never to write another book.

An 88p bath plug changed all that.

The revelations over MPs’ expenses that began in May
2009 ranged from petty thieving to outright fraud and
sparked a crisis in confidence unprecedented in modern
times. This was a 21st-century Peasants’ Revolt – an
uprising of the people against the political class.

Ordinary men and women with political views across the
spectrum were by turns amused, incredulous, shocked and then bitterly angry as the disclosures on MPs’ expenses flooded out. From Home Secretary Jacqui Smith’s bath plug to Conservative MP Sir John Butterfill’s ‘flipping’ of his constituency home – a now-notorious manoeuvre that required him to refund £60,000 to the taxpayer – the exposure of MPs’ expenses revealed Westminster’s culture of quiet corruption as never before.

Drawing on his experience as an MP and as a member of
the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Martin Bell
explains how the expenses crisis arose and, most
compellingly, lays out his prescription for healing the
deep wounds inflicted by the scandal.

As Martin puts it: ‘The revolution will not be complete
until all the rogues in the House are gone and public
confidence in the MPs remaining is restored.’

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revive
British politics, and the rebuilding starts here.