HE SPENT three decades dodging shrapnel - not always successfully - in war-torn countries across the globe, so you'd expect Martin Bell to be fairly unflappable.

But these days, it's not stray bullets worrying the former journalist and independent MP, it's women - 1,500 of them to be exact.

"God that was terrifying," he said, just minutes after addressing the Soroptimist International conference at the BIC. "You have absolutely no idea how scary it is to be the only man among so many women."

Surely not as daunting as reporting from conflicts in Vietnam, the Middle East, Nigeria, Angola, Rwanda or Northern Ireland?

"That's not daunting so much as upsetting," he said. "I still find the plight of the children dreadful. Whoever's responsible for these atrocities, it's certainly not the children."

In his current role as a Unicef ambassador, he still visits war zones to fund raise and offer what help he can.

"I do think 'Why are they sending an old war reporter to these places and not doctors, nurses and teachers?'" he admits. "But the answer to that is that somebody has to raise the money; Unicef gets no money from the UN at all. It relies on governments and on donors like the Soroptimists here."

From reporting the news, Martin found himself making the news when he ran as an anti-sleaze MP against Neil Hamilton and won.

And he's still as interested in politics as ever, particularly the forthcoming US election.

"I'm obsessed with the American election battle," he said. "I think it matters more to people in this country than most British elections because the result is going to shape the whole world. I have to believe that John Kerry will win but I'm not sure he will."

After triumphing in Tatton, it took Martin a while to adjust to Parliamentary life.

"I had a great four years but I wouldn't have been a great party man," he said.

"One of the lobby correspon-dents called me a fully paid-up member of the awkward squad - I quite like that.

"I didn't know what to expect because I had never set foot in Parliament my whole life, I had never been a Westminster correspondent. I wasn't ready for all the ill-will and animosity there is inside parties, rather than between parties. Nor did I expect the desperate insecurity that there was from politicians in marginal seats.

"I judged MPs as people, not by their parties. The best of the Dorset bunch was the Poole MP Robert Syms, I found him approachable and decent."

When asked if he missed life as an MP, his reply was quick and straight to the point. "Only on March 18 last year, when I wanted to be in there to vote against the war with Iraq.

"Everyone I know thinks the war is a mistake. With the current shifting justifications, people are really upset - and rightly so."

First published: October 30