Bell sets up anti-sleaze network
By politics.co.uk staff
A loose network of potential anti-sleaze candidates at the next general election is being formed by Martin Bell.
Mr Bell, who ran a successful campaign against Neil Hamilton in 1997 on similar grounds, is teaming up with former Lebanese hostage and Church of England envoy Terry Waite to consider candidates.
Mr Bell has all but ruled out standing himself, but Mr Waite is still in contention.
The group would field candidates against MPs “named and shamed” in recent Daily Telegraph coverage of expenses.
“It’s very informal and it’s below the radar, because as soon as you go above the radar you get your head blown off by political parties, but there are places, I think, where there are possibilities,” he told the Today programme.
There is currently only one member of parliament, Richard Taylor, who was elected as an independent in 2001. He is the only independent MP in modern times to hold his seat at a general election.
