Martin Bell’s guide to being a political outsider

There has long been something of a romantic dream that politics might open its stiff, party political doors to outsiders, distant from entrenched corruption and more attuned to the needs of the average voter.

In practice, however, it’s a tricky path to follow, as former England cricketer Monty Panesar is now finding after his selection to stand as a general election candidate for George Galloway’s Workers Party of Britain.

But one figure who successfully navigated the route from outsider to professional politician was Martin Bell, the one-time BBC correspondent who stood as an anti-corruption candidate at the 1997 overturning Neil Hamilton’s almost 16,000 seat majority in Tatton.

Bell had become the first elected independent MP since 1951. He stood down in 2001 after pledging to serve just one term.

Here are Bell’s tips for a would-be politician…

1. Embrace the benefits an outsider can bring

“There’s a great deal to be said for somebody who’s had another life, rather than just going up the political ladder,” he says.

And, referring to Monty Panesar, who is the latest in a fairly long list of former England cricketers going into politics including CB Fry and Ted Dexter, he adds: “I certainly don’t think having played cricket for England is any kind of disqualification.”

“The example I would give is Richard Taylor, who was an eminent physician in Kidderminster [he largely stood on a platform of reforming the accident and emergency department to the local hospital] who won an election as an independent in 2001 and was reelected in 2005 so you know it’s definitely to be encouraged.”

2. Check for skeletons

“It’s mostly common sense to be quite honest, because you’re going to be up against some professional politicians.

“It’s probably wise to look in your cupboard, see if any skeletons are lurking in it. I certainly found when I stood for parliament in 1997 that there was a lot of interest in all kinds of things. It was an issue of sleaze at the time so if anybody wanted to look at my bank account, any journalist, I said they’re wide open. So, you need openness, a willingness to talk to people.”

3. Have a thick skin

This is something Martin Bell needed during the “Battle of Knutsford Heath” when his campaign launch was hijacked by Neil and Christine Hamilton. As Hamilton demanded to know what corruption allegations he was guilty of, Bell said he really wanted the campaign to be “dignified… so when it’s all over we can just shake hands and walk away”.

“I think a fairly thick skin [is needed] because you know there will be people out to bring you down because if you get elected somebody else isn’t going to,” he says. “Generally I think there’s a lot to be said for the outsider just going for it.”

4. Choose your target seat wisely

“To be elected as an independent, certainly for a Westminster seat, three conditions have to be met. One is that the incumbent is vulnerable.

“The other is that the candidate is reasonably well known, not necessarily nationally well-known like Monty Panesar but locally well known as Richard Taylor was. And a good cause, a good reason to stand aside from personal ambition.”

5. Know your party’s positions

If standing for a political party, Bell recommends getting clued up on the party’s politics. This was one of the pitfalls that befell Monty Panesar when the former spin bowler was forced to admit he was “not really an expert” when faced with questions earlier this week on Nato and the Workers Party’s pledge to withdraw from the organisation.

In this respect, standing as an independent has some advantages. Bell says: “If you stand as an independent, you make your own manifesto and if you get into the House of Commons then you are your own chief whip.”

6. If you get into the Commons, find a good place to sit

Once there, however, there is no official space – or cross bench – where an independent might sit. “I said to myself, I’m going to vote on one side of the chamber one month, the other side the next, but that didn’t work as you need to catch the eye of the speaker and the speaker needs to know where to find you.

“So, there’s a sort of perch on the opposition bench behind the Liberal Democrats where the ranks of myself and Ian Paisley (former leader of the DUP) used to speak from.”

7. Keep your sense of humour

After Monty Panesar’s missteps over Nato, it might be easy to feel out of one’s depth. Bell has a final piece of advice: “Never lose your sense of humour and don’t get obsessed by [running for election].

“Consider it something you will probably enjoy having done, whether or not you’re successful.”