A Very British Revolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy

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Description

Former BBC reporter, Britain's first Independent MP in 50 years and tireless campaigner for trust in politics, Martin Bell, had vowed never to write another book. An 88p bathplug changed all that.

The revelations over MP's expenses beginning in early May 2009 and ranging from petty thieving to outright fraud, sparked a crisis in confidence unprecedented in modern times. This is a 21st century version of the Peasant's Revolt: an uprising of the people against the political class and its practices and patterns of corruption. These extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and Bell has been compelled to put pen to paper once again.

A Very British Revolution both gives Bell's unique view - as a parliamentary insider and yet outside the fray of any particular part - of the crisis sparked by the expenses scandal and, most compellingly, lays out Bell's prescription for healing the deep wounds inflicted by the scandal and rebuilding the UK's politics. This is the Bell's manifesto for British politics over the next decade.

As Martin says: 'I felt that this was a book that had to be written. Our politics and confidence in Government is in a state of crisis. I hope to be able to draw on my experience as an MP and as a member of The Standards and Privileges Committee to explain how these extraordinary problems arose and how we can resolve them so that our democracy comes out the stronger. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to revive our politics.'

Reviews

The book took 10 weeks to write and reads quickly off the page. -- Eastern Daily Press
The journalist turned accidental MP has an insight not available to reporters. -- Eastern Daily Press
I am especially interested to read Martins new book...And I am recommending that everyone buys his book. -- Douglas Carswell, MP for Harwich and Clacton
Adversity, Bell reminds us, can actually be quite useful. -- Tribune
Bell doesnt mince his words condemning the 'corrupt' politicians who have 'lost our trust because they pick our pockets.' -- Sunday Herald
His latest book is scathing about those who become MPs without having done much else in their lives other than politics. He judges as I do that much of the recent debacle would have been avoided, if so many of those who made it to Westminster had a career pattern other than school, university, researcher, aide to MP and adoption as Parliamentary candidate. -- Tribune
Bell is right when he emphasizes that the real problem with the expenses scandal is not the money: its the fact that MPs make up their own rules, and effectively end up writing their own cheques. -- London Review of Books

Author Bio

Martin Bell OBE, a former BBC war reporter, became in 1997 the first independent MP to be elected to Parliament since 1950 and he has since campaigned tirelessly for trust and transparency in British Politics.