Former Beirut hostage Terry Waite aims to bring down shamed Tory Alan Duncan

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Former Beirut hostage Terry Waite is standing for parliament as an independent.

Waite, who is a Quaker, an Anglican, a humanitarian and an author, and who was held hostage in the Lebanese capital between 1987 and 1991, aims to bring down shamed Tory MP Alan Duncan, the Shadow Leader of the Commons.

Duncan, who is gay, has recently complained about his pay as an MP after secret footage emerged of him complaining that MPs were treated like “****” and had been reduced to living on “rations” following the expenses scandal.

But he is currently said to be mid-way through a two week holiday in a luxury resort on the Indonesian island of Bali with his civil partner, James Dunseath, a press officer in the City.

Waite says he will stand as an independent candidate for the safe Tory seat of Rutland and Melton, of which Duncan is the MP.

Terry Waite has teamed up with with Martin Bell, a former BBC war reporter, famous for wearing white suits, who is now also an independent MP, who successfully challenged Neil Hamilton, the Conservative MP at the centre of the “cash for questions” scandal, at the 1997 General Election.

The Waite-Bell political movement aims to bring down a number of MPs whose questionable expenses claims were disclosed by The Daily Telegraph.

Alan Duncan faces expenses challenge from Terry Waite at election

Alan Duncan, the Tory front bencher who complained that MPs were forced to live on “rations,” faces an election challenge from anti-sleaze campaigners Terry Waite and Martin Bell.

By Rosa Prince, Political Correspondent
16 Aug 2009
The Telegraph


Martin Bell confirmed that Mr Duncan was in their sights Photo: ANDREW STUART


Terry Waite says he will stand as an independent candidate for safe Tory seat of Rutland and Melton Photo: MARTIN POPE


Under pressure: Alan Duncan, the Shadow Leader of the Commons - currently on an exotic holiday - is accused of hypocrisy over MPs' expenses 'rations' gaffe Photo: Heathcliff O'Malley

The former Beirut hostage and “the man in the white suit” have formed a political movement aimed at bringing down a number of MPs whose questionable expenses claims were disclosed by The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Bell, an ex-BBC journalist who became known for his sartorial taste after successfully challenging Neil Hamilton, the Conservative MP at the centre of the “cash for questions” scandal, at the 1997 election, confirmed that Mr Duncan was in their sights.

Last week, the millionaire MP was forced to apologise after secret footage emerged of him complaining that MPs were treated like “****” and had been reduced to living on “rations” following the expenses scandal.

It seems that the somewhat stricter regime introduced following the expenses furore has not inhibited Mr Duncan’s lifestyle too significantly, however. He is currently said to be mid-way through a two week holiday in a luxury resort on the Indonesian island of Bali with his civil partner, James Dunseath, a press officer in the City.

The couple are thought to have flown business class with Singapore Airlines at a cost of around £3,000 each.

Mr Duncan, the shadow leader of the House who has represented the Leicestershire constituency of Rutland and Melton since 1992, is the main target of the “honest politics” alliance forged by Mr Bell and Mr Waite.

The ex-journalist said that up to 30 anti-sleaze candidates would be standing at the general election, with a shared cause of bringing "honesty" to the House of Commons.

“The common platform would be a return to honest politics,” he said. “That’s the thing that would unite everybody. Rutland and Melton has become vulnerable.”

Mr Bell has yet to decide where to stand, while Mr Waite, a former Church of England envoy who was held hostage for five years, is considering challenging David Ruffley, the shadow policing minister, in Bury St Edmunds.

Voters in the Suffolk town have been highly critical of Mr Ruffley for attempting to claim a £2,175 television from Harrods on his expenses.

Other targets include Hazel Blears, the former communities secretary who wrote out a cheque for £13,000 in a bid to save her career after her use of a legal loophole to avoid capital gains tax on her taxpayer-funded second home caused public outrage.

Last week, Miss Blears’ car was vandalised, and earlier she narrowly survived a bid by local activists to deselect her.

Mr Bell said that he had yet to decide where to stand himself, adding that the movement was wary of naming other anti-sleaze candidates at this stage.

“It’s a bit like guerrilla warfare – as soon as you announce yourself, the parties train their searchlights on you and blast away,’ he said.

“But there are some good people out there who might make very good independent candidates. I’ve met some of them with Terry.

“I’m due to take part in a meeting in September for the “Hazel Must Go” campaign – but it’s up to them if they can find somebody to coalesce around.”

The former journalist stood down from Parliament in 2001 after one term as MP for Tatton, Cheshire, fulfilling a pledge that he made during the election campaign that swept him to office by a landslide.

telegraph.co.uk
 
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