The revelations over MPs' expenses that began in May 2009 ranged from petty thieving to outright fraud and sparked a crisis in confidence unprecedented in modern times. This was a 21st-century Peasants' Revolt - an uprising of the people against the political class. Ordinary men and women with political views across the spectrum were by turns amused, incredulous, shocked and then bitterly angry as the disclosures on MPs' expenses flooded out. From Home Secretary Jacqui Smith's bath plug to Conservative MP Sir John Butterfill's 'flipping' of his constituency home - a now-notorious manoeuvre that required him to refund GBP60,000 to the taxpayer - the exposure of MPs' expenses revealed Westminster's culture of quiet corruption like never before. Drawing on his experience as an MP and as a member of the Committee on Standards and Privileges, Martin Bell explains how the expenses crisis arose and, most compellingly, lays out his prescription for healing the deep wounds inflicted by the scandal. As Martin puts it: 'The revolution will not be complete until all the rogues in the House are gone and public confidence in the MPs remaining is restored.' This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to revive British politics, and the rebuilding starts here.
A Very British Revolution
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About the Author
Martin Bell OBE is one of the best-known and most highly regarded names in British television journalism. As a BBC reporter he has covered foreign assignments in more than 80 countries and eleven wars including Vietnam, Nigeria, Angola, Nicaragua, The Gulf and Bosnia, where millions watched as he was nearly killed by shrapnel. In 1997 Martin became the first Independent MP to be elected to Parliament since 1950, and he has since campaigned tirelessly for trust and transparency in British politics.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Every UK Taxpaying Citizen Voter should read this book BEFORE the next election!
7 Jan 2010
By J. L. Bell
Format:Paperback
This book should be read by every taxpaying citizen voter BEFORE they consider who to vote for in the next general election. It debunks the myth about 'honourable members' in the current UK parliament and is written by a one time insider in the 'system'.
Martin Bell (no relation to me!!) has to one of the very few individuals related to the current parliamentary setup in the UK who can be trusted to give us spin free information!
Martin Bell (no relation to me!!) has to one of the very few individuals related to the current parliamentary setup in the UK who can be trusted to give us spin free information!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By HughRo
Format:Kindle Edition
I have just finished reading this book and found it very interesting and mainly quite a good read. I have marked the book down to 3 stars tho because I felt that Bell went off on a tangent about half way through the book as if discovering that it wasnt quite long enough for the publishers and needed padding out. Despite that a good read.A Very British Revolution
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By T. Field
Format:Kindle Edition
Martin Bell has a difficult balancing act in this book. On the one hand he is the indignant former journalist, on the other a former MP. So he has to remain somehow above the scandals, and chooses rather to sound naive, astonished that as an MP he had not even known about the possibilities to abuse expenses.
From his vantage point he can decry the abuses we all know about. It really is pretty easy recalling all those details of bath plugs and moats, and the other knock-about stuff. Where he is good on this is in showing how far the scandalous behaviour was from the Nolan principles of conduct in public life, or detailing the various attempts by MPs to block any scrutiny or reform in the period leading up to the scandal.
The distance from events makes it easy for him to sound superior, but he does manage (just) to avoid sounding smug. He owns up to various foibles or mistakes (one such being a decision not to resign from the Committee for Standards and Privileges), although he does still like to sound important - he recalls tipping off a senior officer about abuse of expenses, and recommending a phone call to a good source. The call was never made, and the rest is history. But if Martin knew, why did he not persevere? You do get the impression that when he laments the fact that we no longer have a George Orwell among us he would at least like an audition.
Sometimes he is not entirely clear - the "political class" is dismissed as a modern phenomenon even as he quotes a reference from 1855. His complaints about a "non-elected PM" in Britain are surprising, as there is no compulsion for a PM to be elected to office by the people. Another such error is the reference to Italian PM Berlusconi as the President of Italy.
Having pointed to these lapses I should say that I did enjoy reading the book. Even when one disagrees with Mr Bell - he seems to me to be entirely unfair to civilian politicians when discussing the issue of defence - he does at least make you think. The same goes for the long list of ways to improve the situation at the end - again, some of them seem very debatable, but it is that spirit of debate which keeps the book above the level of cheap knock-'em-down anecdotes.
From his vantage point he can decry the abuses we all know about. It really is pretty easy recalling all those details of bath plugs and moats, and the other knock-about stuff. Where he is good on this is in showing how far the scandalous behaviour was from the Nolan principles of conduct in public life, or detailing the various attempts by MPs to block any scrutiny or reform in the period leading up to the scandal.
The distance from events makes it easy for him to sound superior, but he does manage (just) to avoid sounding smug. He owns up to various foibles or mistakes (one such being a decision not to resign from the Committee for Standards and Privileges), although he does still like to sound important - he recalls tipping off a senior officer about abuse of expenses, and recommending a phone call to a good source. The call was never made, and the rest is history. But if Martin knew, why did he not persevere? You do get the impression that when he laments the fact that we no longer have a George Orwell among us he would at least like an audition.
Sometimes he is not entirely clear - the "political class" is dismissed as a modern phenomenon even as he quotes a reference from 1855. His complaints about a "non-elected PM" in Britain are surprising, as there is no compulsion for a PM to be elected to office by the people. Another such error is the reference to Italian PM Berlusconi as the President of Italy.
Having pointed to these lapses I should say that I did enjoy reading the book. Even when one disagrees with Mr Bell - he seems to me to be entirely unfair to civilian politicians when discussing the issue of defence - he does at least make you think. The same goes for the long list of ways to improve the situation at the end - again, some of them seem very debatable, but it is that spirit of debate which keeps the book above the level of cheap knock-'em-down anecdotes.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
a very british book
an enjoyable read from someone who arrived in parliament as the result of challenging dishonesty so he knew the workings. Read more
Published 3 months ago by moggyboy
5.0 out of 5 stars
A good unbiased view
excellent gift for a student aspiring to politics, he was delighted with this book. This is the third book by Martin Bell I have purchased
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. Joyce Payne
5.0 out of 5 stars
good
very good pleased ( i will not write words that I do not want to write even to make it 17 words)
Published 5 months ago by G. poa
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Very British Revolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our...
In A Very British Revolution: The Expenses Scandal and How to Save Our Democracy, Martin Bell has written one of the most interesting books about our current political system. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Swifty
2.0 out of 5 stars
Not great, very biased
Well I read this book but I really had to power through. I am genuinely very interested in Politics but this book is very repetitive and feels like he is trying to string out the... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Kindlereader
5.0 out of 5 stars
Witty appraisal of not just the MP Expenses Scandal, but also what it...
Serious discussion about the more dubious side of MPs. Nice touch of including information about expenses claimed in chapters about MPs or issues. Read more
Published 16 months ago by Calluna
3.0 out of 5 stars
Very little new
I do not disagree with the importance of the points made in the book but there is very little that was not already known and discussed extensively at the time of the original... Read more
Published 18 months ago by S. Young
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Story of Greed...
Martin Bell isn't afraid to get stuck in with his own thoughts, opinions and personal allegiances about the expenses scandal, which makes it an interesting read. Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2011 by SEll51
4.0 out of 5 stars
martin bell
Bought the book after hearing Martin Bell speak this year at Dartington. Did not disappoint.
Published on 17 Aug 2010 by jf
5.0 out of 5 stars
For Whom The Bell Tolls
In 2002 the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Elizabeth Filkin, was removed from her job, "essentially for doing it too well". Read more
Published on 10 April 2010 by Neutral
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