Editing Stuart Bell

{{Short description|British Labour Party politician}}
{{other people}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = [[Sir]]
| name                = Stuart Bell
| honorific-suffix    = 
| image               = Sir Stuart Bell MP black and white (cropped).jpg
| office              = [[Church Commissioners|Second Church Estates Commissioner]]
| term_start          = 2 May 1997
| term_end            = 11 May 2010
| primeminister       = [[Tony Blair]]<br>[[Gordon Brown]]
| preceded            = [[Michael Alison]]
| succeeded           = [[Tony Baldry]]
| office2             = [[Member of Parliament (UK)|Member of Parliament]] <br> for [[Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesbrough]]
| parliament2         = 
| majority2           = 
| predecessor2        = [[Arthur Bottomley]]
| successor2          = [[Andy McDonald (politician)|Andy McDonald]]
| term_start2         = 9 June 1983
| term_end2           = 13 October 2012
| birth_date          = 16 May 1938
| birth_place         = [[High Spen]], County Durham, England
| death_date          = 13 October 2012 (aged 74)
| death_place         = [[Middlesbrough]], North Yorkshire, England
| nationality         = British
| spouse              = (1) Margaret Bruce (div.)<br />(2) Margaret Allan
| party               = [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]
| relations           = 
| children            = 
| residence           = 
| alma_mater          = 
| occupation          = 
| profession          = 
| signature           = 
| website             = 
| footnotes           = 
}}

'''Sir Stuart Bell''' (16 May 1938&nbsp;– 13 October 2012) was a [[Labour Party (UK)|British Labour Party]] politician, who was the Member of Parliament (MP) for [[Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesbrough]] from the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]] until his death in 2012. He was known as the longest serving [[Second Church Estates Commissioner]], serving in this role during the entire period of Labour government from 1997–2010.

==Early life==
Bell was born in [[County Durham]] in 1938, the son of a miner. He studied at the Hookergate Grammar School on School Lane in [[High Spen]] near [[Rowlands Gill]], [[Gateshead]]. He later attended the Durham Pitmans College. He joined the Labour Party in 1964, and was [[Call to the bar|called to the Bar]] at [[Gray's Inn]] in 1970. He worked as an international lawyer in Paris until 1977, representing large multi-national companies. He contested [[Hexham (UK Parliament constituency)|Hexham]] at the [[1979 United Kingdom general election|1979 general election]], but was defeated by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP and former Cabinet Minister [[Geoffrey Rippon]].

==Parliamentary career==
Bell was elected to the City Council of [[Newcastle upon Tyne]] in 1980. In 1982, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough, [[Arthur Bottomley]] announced that he would step down at the next general election; Bell won the subsequent selection process to fight the seat at the [[1983 United Kingdom general election|1983 general election]]. Bell comfortably held [[Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)|the seat]], elected with a majority just short of 10,000 votes.

At [[Westminster Parliament|Westminster]], Bell became the [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition [[Roy Hattersley]] in 1983. He was promoted to the [[Frontbench|shadow frontbench]] in 1984 by [[Neil Kinnock]] as a Spokesman for [[Northern Ireland Office|Northern Ireland]]. However, he chose to resign his post after the [[Cleveland child abuse scandal]] which occupied two years of his life, after making unsubstantiated accusations of 'clinical error' against local paediatricians and child sexual abuse specialists. The paediatricians, Dr. Marietta Higgs and Dr. Geoffrey Wyatt, were later absolved and their forensic clinical work validated at a committee of inquiry overseen by Dame [[Elizabeth Butler-Sloss]]. The committee concluded that most of the diagnoses were incorrect.<ref name="Gazette">{{cite news|url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/20-years-cleveland-child-sex-3729871 |title=20 years on from the Cleveland Child Sex Abuse Scandal |newspaper=GazetteLive |date=8 July 2008}}</ref> As a result, 94 of the 121 children were returned to their homes.<ref name="Gazette"/><ref>Staff writer, [http://www.childrenwebmag.com/articles/key-child-care-texts/the-cleveland-reportby-judge-elizabeth-butler-sloss The Cleveland Report] digest by Robert Shaw, Children Webmag 2011, accessed 17 July 2014</ref>

After the [[1992 United Kingdom general election|1992 general election]] and the election of [[John Smith (Labour Party leader)|John Smith]] as the Leader of the Labour Party, Bell returned to the shadow frontbenches as a spokesman for [[Department of Trade and Industry (United Kingdom)|Trade and Industry]]. After the election of the Labour Government at the [[1997 United Kingdom general election|1997 general election]] he was dropped from Labour's frontbench, but was appointed on the advice of [[Tony Blair]] as the [[Church Commissioners|Second Church Estates Commissioner]], the spokesman for the [[Church of England]] in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], a position he held from 1997 to 2010.

In 1998, Bell was one of 14 Labour MPs who voted against equalising the [[age of consent]] for homosexual activity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/divisions/pw-1998-06-22-311-commons/mp/10358|title=Crime and Disorder Bill — Reduction of Age of Consent for Homosexual Acts to 16: Recent Votes|website=TheyWorkForYou|accessdate=22 January 2025}}</ref> From 2000 to 2005 he was the Chairman of the [[Finance and Services Committee]], which manages the annual budget of the House of Commons and its many employees. In 2005 he became a member of the Finance and Services Committee until 2008 when he served as chairman until 2010. Relatedly, from 2000 until 2010 he was a member of the [[House of Commons Commission]], which oversees the administration of the House and the Members Estimate Committee that sets MPs' pay and pensions. He was a member of the Liaison Committee between 2000–10. He was a member of the Ecclesiastical Committee from 1997.

Bell sat on the Members Estimates Committee at Parliament and was heavily involved representing MPs' interests in the [[United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal|MPs' expenses scandal of 2009]]. He was a member in Speaker's Committee for the [[Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority]] between 2009–10. A founder member of the [[British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body]], he was a Treasurer of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Promotion of First Past the Post.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/first-past-the-post.htm |title=Page cannot be found – UK Parliament |access-date=15 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822191249/http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmallparty/register/first-past-the-post.htm |archive-date=22 August 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> and was Secretary of the Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Committee in the Commons. In February 2010 Bell was played by [[David Calder (actor)|David Calder]] in the television film [[On Expenses]].

==Criticism and controversy==
In 2002 his son, [[Malcolm Bell (entrepreneur)|Malcolm]], was jailed after admitting to stealing £8,000 from  his father's colleagues, while he worked in Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |title=MP's son jailed for Commons theft |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1860934.stm |website=BBC News |date=7 March 2002 |access-date=6 February 2022}}</ref>

On 13 October 2009, he claimed on the BBC ''[[Today (BBC Radio 4)|Today]]'' programme that the investigation by [[Thomas Legg|Sir Thomas Legg]] into the [[United Kingdom Parliamentary expenses scandal]] was marked by "retrospectivity", as Sir Thomas had changed the rules on expenses after MPs' claims had been submitted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8304000/8304185.stm |title=MPs' grievance over expenses letters|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602235345/http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8304000/8304185.stm |archivedate=2 June 2016 |website=BBC News |date=13 October 2009 |accessdate=13 October 2009}}</ref>

Stuart Bell featured in a film of the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]] entitled ''[[ToryBoy The Movie]]'' made by [[John Walsh (filmmaker)|John Walsh]], which explored the candidate's selection process and the work that goes into an election campaign.{{cn|date=February 2022}} Later in 2011, Neil Macfarlane, in a report for local newspaper ''[[Teesside Gazette]]'', asked "Are Teessiders getting enough from Sir Stuart Bell?" when he failed to answer over 100 telephone calls made to his constituency office over three months.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/teessiders-getting-enough-sir-stuart-3693031|title=Are Teessiders getting enough from Sir Stuart Bell?|author=gazettelive Administrator|date=6 September 2011|work=gazettelive|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805145111/http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/teessiders-getting-enough-sir-stuart-3693031|archive-date=5 August 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> The ''Gazette'' story was picked up by national newspapers. ''[[The Independent]]'' asked "is Sir Stuart Bell Britain's laziest MP?"<ref>Jonathan Brown [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/no-surgeries-for-14-years--is-sir-stuart-bell-britains-laziest-mp-2350953.html No surgeries for 14 years – is Sir Stuart Bell Britain's laziest MP?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925171623/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/no-surgeries-for-14-years--is-sir-stuart-bell-britains-laziest-mp-2350953.html |date=25 September 2015 }}, ''Independent'', 7 September 2011.</ref><ref name="BBC">Richard Moss [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14847291 Middlesbrough MP Sir Stuart Bell fights laziest MP tag] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181028063739/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-14847291 |date=28 October 2018 }}, BBC, 9 September 2011.</ref> The ''Guardian'' fact-checked the "laziest MP" claim and found that: <blockquote>"Bell has been an MP for nearly 30 years and has had a distinguished career in parliament as a frontbench spokesman on trade and industry in opposition and the spokesman for the Church of England in the House of Commons and member of the House of Commons commission until last year. He's part of a breed of politicians&nbsp;– also including the Tory [[Edward Leigh]] and Labour's [[Gerald Kaufman]]&nbsp;– who have been extremely active parliamentarians but not always maintained an office in their constituency. One measure of their parliamentary work is the proportion of votes they turn up to... Bell's record doesn't cover him in glory, discounting frontbenchers, Northern Irish MPs, the Speaker and his deputies, he has the 10th worst attendance record with a 65.4% absence rate."<ref name="reality check">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/sep/08/reality-check-britain-s-laziest-mp|title=Reality check: Who are Britain's laziest parliamentarians?|author=Polly Curtis|work=The Guardian|date=8 September 2011|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118222430/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/reality-check-with-polly-curtis/2011/sep/08/reality-check-britain-s-laziest-mp|archive-date=18 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref></blockquote> The Labour Party said it was looking into the allegations.<ref name="BBC"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/labour-launches-probe-middlesbrough-mp-3693109|title=Labour launches probe into Middlesbrough MP|author=gazettelive Administrator|date=8 September 2011|work=gazettelive|access-date=17 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118224719/http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/local-news/labour-launches-probe-middlesbrough-mp-3693109|archive-date=18 November 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Other interests==
Bell was a member of the French [[think tank]], the [[Fondation pour l'Innovation Politique]].<ref name="TT">{{cite news |title=Sir Stuart Bell – Obituary |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-obituaries/9612817/Sir-Stuart-Bell.html |accessdate=21 March 2019 |work=The Telegraph |date=16 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190321093119/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/politics-obituaries/9612817/Sir-Stuart-Bell.html |archive-date=21 March 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> He was also a regular newspaper columnist for the ''[[Mail on Sunday]]'' and other publications.<ref name="TT"/>

==Personal life==
[[File:Knights Bachelor Insignia.png|thumb|right|60px|Insignia of Knight Bachelor]]
Bell was married in 1960 to Margaret Bruce and they had a son and a daughter. After his divorce, he married Margaret Allan in 1980 and they had a son.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.today/20130121183751/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/b/2675/Stuart+BELL.aspx|title=StuartB ELL.…|date=21 January 2013|website=archive.ph|accessdate=22 January 2025}}</ref>

==Honours==
Bell was [[Knight Bachelor|knighted]] in 2004 for his "services to Parliament" and was appointed a Chevalier of the [[Legion of Honour|Légion d'honneur]], France's highest [[order of knighthood|order]], by President [[Jacques Chirac]] in 2006.<ref name="TT"/>

==Death==
Bell died on 13 October 2012, aged 74, after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/national/news/9983926.MP_Bell_dies_after_cancer_battle/|title=MP Bell dies after cancer battle|date=13 October 2012|work=Bradford Telegraph & Argus|accessdate=13 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606001916/http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/national/news/9983926.MP_Bell_dies_after_cancer_battle/|archive-date=6 June 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> [[2012 Middlesbrough by-election|A by-election]] was held in the Middlesbrough constituency.

==Publications==

*{{cite book
  | title     = Paris Sixty-Nine
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      =
  | year      = 1973
  | publisher = Consett/Ramsden Williams Publications
}}
*{{cite book
  | url       = https://digital.library.lse.ac.uk/Documents/Detail/how-to-abolish-the-lords-1981/114803
  | title     = How to abolish the Lords
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 
  | year      = 1981
  | publisher = Fabian Society
}}
*{{cite book
  | title     = When Salem Came to the Boro: The True Story of the Cleveland Child Abuse Crisis
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      =
  | year      = 1988
  | publisher =
| title-link = Cleveland child abuse scandal
 }}
*{{cite book
  | title     = Tony Really Loves Me
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 0-9538638-1-6
  | year      = 2000
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
}}
*{{cite book
  | title     = Pathway to the Euro
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 0-9538638-2-4
  | year      = 2002
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
}}
*{{cite book
  | title     = The Honoured Society
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 0-9538638-4-0
  | year      = 2002
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
}}
*{{cite book
  | title     = Binkie's Revolution
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 978-0-9538638-3-9
  | year      = 2002
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
}}
*{{cite book
  | title     = An Ever Closer Union
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 978-0-9538638-5-3
  | year      = 2007
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
}}
*{{cite book
  | title     = The Ice Cream Man and Other Stories
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 978-0-9538638-4-6
  | year      = 2007
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
}}

*{{cite book
  | title     = The Ice Cream Man and Other Stories
  | last      = Bell
  | first     = Stuart
  | isbn      = 978-0-9538638-4-6
  | year      = 2010
  | publisher = SpenView Publications
| edition = second
 }}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{UK MP links | hansard = mr-stuart-bell | guardian = 347/stuart-bell
| publicwhip = Stuart_Bell | theywork = stuart_bell
| record = Stuart-Bell/Middlesbrough/37 | bbc = 25733.stm | journalisted = }}
* [http://www.fondapol.org/?s=%22stuart+bell%22 In The Foundation pour l'innovation politique site (in French)]

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box
 | title = [[Church Commissioners|Second Church Estates Commissioner]]
 | years= 1997–2010
 | before = [[Michael Alison]]
 | after = Sir [[Tony Baldry]]
}}
{{s-par|uk}}
{{succession box
  | title  = Member of Parliament for [[Middlesbrough (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesbrough]]|years=1983–2012
  | before = [[Arthur Bottomley]]
  | after  = [[Andy McDonald (politician)|Andy McDonald]]
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Stuart}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:People from High Spen]]
[[Category:Politicians from Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Councillors in Tyne and Wear]]
[[Category:Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1983–1987]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1987–1992]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1992–1997]]
[[Category:UK MPs 1997–2001]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2001–2005]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2005–2010]]
[[Category:UK MPs 2010–2015]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Knights Bachelor]]
[[Category:Deaths from pancreatic cancer in England]]
[[Category:Members of Gray's Inn]]
[[Category:English barristers]]
[[Category:Church Estates Commissioners]]
[[Category:20th-century English lawyers]]