A regional newspaper has prompted an investigation by the Labour party following an article it published about an MP failing to respond to 100 phone calls made by a reporter.
In a story published on Tuesday called ‘Bell’s 100 days of silence’ that has now made national news, The Teesside Evening Gazette claimed that reporter Neil Macfarlane had made the calls to Middlebrough MP Sir Stuart Bell over three months but nobody answered the phone and all calls rang out to an answer machine.
The newspaper was trying to contact the politician following complaints from readers who said they could not contact him.
The daily newspaper, owned by Trinity Mirror, has today reported that the Labour Party will launch an official investigation.
A statement published in the Gazette said that Ed Miliband and the Labour Party expect the highest standards from Labour representatives, and it was ‘totally unacceptable if the public cannot reach their MP.’
Though he has failed to respond to requests for an interview with the Gazette, Sir Stuart told the Darlington-based Northern Echo newspaper yesterday that he had no record of the calls.
He also admitted he has not held a constituency surgery for 14 years but says residents can get in touch with him at any time by telephone, email or letter and he regularly arranges private appointments.
He told the Echo: “The House of Commons has the finest switchboard in the land, open 24-hours a day, seven days a week, and there were no recorded messages left on it.”
He said the reason he has not held a surgery for so long is because he was once attacked.
“I have been MP for 28 years, I have lived in Middlesbrough for 30 years in November, I spend four days a week there and have never had a single complaint from a constituent about this.” he added.
Sign up for our free daily email bulletin
Follow HTFP on Twitter
Got a story? Email the Editor at
He’s never had a single complaint from a constituent?! Maybe because he never picks up the phone or holds a surgery?! But did the reporter try to email or write to him – on the off chance he did have the wrong number?
Report this comment
“I have never had a single complaint from a constituent about this” – Aye, they probably couldn’t get hold of him.
Report this comment
Neil MacFarlane should get praise for his work. His taxes and yours pay for the likes of Bell.
Report this comment
A very strange situation. But if the locals don’t like it, why do they keep re-electing him? He must be doing something right.
Report this comment
How did Neil find time to put in a hundred phone calls in amongst all those Freedom of Information requests he puts in daily?!!
Seriously though, this situation with Stuart Bell has been a joke for far too long.
The media has also been slow to pick up on it and challenge him.
Worse still is the ineptitude of the local Labour party and others in the town for failing to offer a serious alternative.
It’s clear Bell’s constituency comes second to his other interests. If you did a straw poll of people living in Middlesbrough and showed them his picture, I’m sure 99 out of a 100 wouldn’t even recognise him.
Quite aside from that – wasn’t Bell also one of the House of Commons custodians that tried to stop the full details of MPs expenses from being published?
The worst thing is he says he plans another four years – which would take him up to the age of 77!
He should go now.
Report this comment