Martin Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Martin Bell
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Bell at Hexham book festival in 2009
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| Member of Parliament for Tatton |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 14 May 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Neil Hamilton |
| Succeeded by | George Osborne |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 August 1938 Redisham, Suffolk, England |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouses |
Helene Gordoun
(m. 1971; div. 1981)Rebecca Sobel
(m. 1984; div. 1991)Fiona Goddard
(m. 1998, divorced)Merita Zhubi
(m. 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
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| Relatives |
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| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
| Occupation | War reporter |
Martin Bell, OBE (born 31 August 1938) is a British UNICEF (UNICEF UK) Ambassador. He used to be a famous war reporter for the BBC. Later, he became an independent politician, meaning he didn't belong to a specific political party. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton from 1997 to 2001. People sometimes called him "the man in the white suit."
Contents
Early Life and Education
Martin Bell's father was Adrian Bell, a writer and farmer. His sister, Anthea Bell, was a well-known translator. His nephew, Oliver Kamm, later became a political advisor for him.
Martin went to Taverham Hall School and then The Leys School in Cambridge. He studied English at King's College, Cambridge. After university, he served two years in the military, called national service. He was an acting corporal in the Suffolk Regiment and served in Cyprus.
Reporting for the BBC
Martin Bell started working for the BBC as a reporter in 1962. Three years later, he moved to London. He became a foreign affairs correspondent, reporting from many countries.
He became famous for covering wars and conflicts. He reported from places like Vietnam, the Middle East, Nigeria, Angola, and Northern Ireland. He covered eleven conflicts and reported from eighty different countries.
He was also a diplomatic correspondent and the chief Washington correspondent for the BBC. In 1992, he was given an award, becoming an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). That same year, he was hurt by shrapnel while reporting from the war in Bosnia.
By the mid-1990s, he felt unhappy with the BBC. He thought the news was changing too much and becoming less serious.
Becoming an Independent Politician
On 7 April 1997, Martin Bell decided to leave the BBC. He announced he would run as an independent candidate in the general election. He chose to stand in the Tatton area.
The person who was already the MP for Tatton, Neil Hamilton, was facing serious accusations about his conduct. Because of this, the Labour and Liberal Democrats parties decided not to have their own candidates. They supported Martin Bell instead.
On 1 May 1997, Martin Bell won the election. He became an MP with a large number of votes. This was a big surprise because Tatton was usually a very safe area for the Conservative party. He was the first independent candidate to win a seat in Parliament since 1951.
When he was an MP, Martin Bell often spoke about local issues. He also talked about British policy in places like the former Yugoslavia and developing countries. He often voted with the Labour government. However, he sometimes voted with the Conservatives on certain issues.
Martin Bell said that being an independent politician was a "fortunate position." This meant he didn't have to follow a party's rules. He could vote based on what he thought was right.
When he ran for election, he promised to serve for only one term. He said his main goal was to challenge Neil Hamilton. Later, George Osborne was chosen as the Conservative candidate for Tatton. Martin Bell kept his promise and did not run for re-election in Tatton in 2001.
In 2001, he ran as an independent candidate again. This time, he stood against another Conservative MP in the Essex area of Brentwood and Ongar. He came in second place, reducing the Conservative MP's lead. After this election, he announced he was leaving politics. He said, "winning one and losing one is not a bad record for an amateur."
Life After Politics
In August 2001, Martin Bell became a UNICEF UK Ambassador. His job was to help children affected by wars and natural disasters.
He briefly returned to television news in 2003. He gave his opinions on the Iraq invasion for ITN's Channel Five News. He used his experience to comment on the daily video footage from the war.
In 2004, he ran for the European Parliament as an independent candidate. However, he was not successful in this election.
Before the 2005 general election, he joined the Independent Network. This group helped other independent candidates.
In 2006, he spoke out about a scandal where some people were accused of getting special titles for money. He asked the Prime Minister to stop giving out these titles.
In 2009, he supported the Green Party. He also appeared on the BBC show Question Time to discuss a scandal about MPs' expenses.
In 2018, Martin Bell had an accident at Gatwick Airport. He needed surgery to fix his face. He praised the doctors and nurses who helped him.
In 2021, he was asked to run in another election after an MP resigned due to a lobbying scandal. However, he decided not to stand.
Family Life
Martin Bell has been married four times and has two daughters.
Images for kids
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Bell at Hexham book festival in 2009
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Bell addresses a Frontline Club forum in 2007.
