Analysis: Rantzen takes a stand
Esther Rantzen will stand in Luton South
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Tuesday, 28, Jul 2009 12:57
Esther Rantzen, that swirling typhoon of a middle England TV personality, is turning her considerable energies to politics. As she prepares to make her assault on the Palace of Westminster she could do better than note the tactics of her potential predecessors.
By Alex Stevenson
The delightfully open Rantzen is everything expenses-ridden MPs are not. She seethed with outrage when news of their excesses emerged earlier this year. In a spirit of campaigning fervour she pledged to stand against Margaret Moran, judged by Rantzen to be one of the worst offenders, in Luton South. She marched around the constituency in the middle of a swarm of snapping cameras and journalists.
Moran has subsequently announced she will not be standing at the next election, somewhat dampening Rantzen's firepower in the constituency. Despite this she reality TV star's fervour is undimmed.
Today she announced her intention to stand in the seat anyway. "I'm not for one moment thinking this is going to be easy on any level," she told BBC News 24. "No adventure ever is. But if it's worthwhile achieving I think it's worth the risk."
This adventure is not quite so pioneering as Rantzen might think it is. Independent MPs have a proud and noble history. And recent examples offer Rantzen different options about the path she might want to follow.
First is surely the tireless Bob Spink, who finally quit the Tory party after years of grumbling. He faces a tough fight in Castle Point but, on the occasions politics.co.uk has bumped into his path in the Commons, has repeatedly extolled the virtues of hard work. The Spink approach is to ply every working hour into his constituency, and hope some of that labour sticks. There is more to politics than lying in an earwig-filled coffin in the jungle, even if dealing with the whips might tempt some MPs to disagree.
Second is the independent Richard Taylor, the Wyre Forest MP who was elected on the single issue of saving his local Kidderminster hospital in 2001. Having worked his constituency hard he managed to retain his seat with a second term, becoming the first independent MP to do so since 1949. An independent MP, it seems, is not for life but for four or five Christmases. Take heed, Rantzen.
The 69-year-old former That's Life! presenter might be most interested in the fate of Martin Bell, the white-suit wearing independent who stood against Neil Hamilton in 1997. His anti-sleaze ticket - and help from Labour and the Lib Dems not fielding a candidate against him - reaped rewards. He entered the New Labour-strewn Commons in a haze of independent-minded euphoria but four years later had exited the Commons. The moment had passed. History had moved on.
So had Bell, shifting from Tatton to make way for George Osborne (of all people). He had promised to only sit for one term but had another unsuccessful attempt in 2001 anyway, in Brentwood and Ongar. They rejected his advances. His novelty had worn off.
Their combined lessons will provide some interesting food for thought for Rantzen. She would do well to ape the career of Bell, combining his high public profile with his outrage at the existing MP's conduct. The careers of Spink and Taylor, both devoted to their constituencies but with potentially different results at the next election, highlight the value of not taking the voters for granted.
If Rantzen is to succeed in her attempt to take Luton South, she will need to campaign hard - and not assume the media will lift her to victory come polling day.
But perhaps the best lesson of all can be taken from Chloe Smith, the victor of last week's Norwich North by-election, who at 27 is parliament's youngest MP.
She answered questions about her relative youth with talk of energy and fresh air, in what proved a winning formula of vigour and freshness.
"There may well be other independent candidates coming forward now, taking advantage of a new wind blowing through the world of politics and maybe bringing some fresh air with it."
That was Rantzen speaking, not Smith. At 69 years young, imposing her hurricane-strength enthusiasm on the good burghers of Luton South could be her best weapon.