An Evening With Martin Bell

Friday 30th April 7pm at Lord Leycester’s Hospital

It is a privilege to welcome Martin Bell a tireless campaigner for trust in politics to talk about his book ‘A Very British Revolution : The Expenses Scandal and How To Save Our Democracy’. Martin comes with impeccable timing, on the eve of an important General Election, to talk about an issue which haunts the whole election process and is utterly germane to how we see our MP’s.

Martin made his name in Vietnam in the 1960s, and also covered wars in the Middle East, Nigeria, Angola and Rwanda, as well as numerous assignments in Northern Ireland. Over the next 30 years, he reported from 80 countries and covered 11 conflicts.

His sparse, uncomprom ising style of journalism won him the Royal Television Society’s Reporter of the Year award in 1977, and again in 1993. He was awarded an OBE in 1992.

It was his last assignment for the BBC, however, which had the greatest impact on him, both physically and mentally.He was badly wounded by shrapnel as he delivered a bulletin from Sarajevo, his “lucky” white suit letting him down for once as he fell to the ground in agony. And what he saw while covering the war awoke a smouldering sense of injustice which was to define his future career.

He later stole the show of course in the 1997 election campaign with his anti-sleaze battle against MP Neil Hamilton.  His legendary fight for the safe Conservative seat at Tatton, on an independent, anti-corruption ticket, made him a symbol of the revolt against perceived sleaze in the governing Conservative Party. He won the seat with an 11,000 majority.

He now acts as an ambassador for UNICEF, and as an outspoken critic of the state of politics and journalism today.

Tickets £7.50 (£6 concessions) – to include a welcoming glass of wine – from Warwick Books and Kenilworth Books.