Romsey Advertiser 12 April 07

Written by Sandra Gidley MP on Thu 12th Apr 2007

It has been a fascinating experience watching the developing saga of the British hostages who were held in Iran. I am sure that everybody was relieved when they were released and had come to no apparent harm. The national media were obsessed with which Country had the upper hand and had "won" the media game.

The real story was unfolding more quietly. It was always obvious that the press would be offering money for the hostages stories but I think I was one of many who had naturally assumed that our armed forces personnel did not do such things.

I had underestimated the fact that qualities such as "stiff upper lip" and a sense of duty to the bigger picture are qualities that are fast disappearing from our society. Don't get me wrong, I welcome the fact that more men are happy to show their emotional side, but do we really need to know that some of our armed forces personnel cried in this situation? What does it add to the public good and what doesn't it detract from the reputation that our Armed Forces have of being the best in the world?

I cannot find it within myself to blame the individuals who did sell their stories. They are young people who are the product of a cynical media age and although they are young people who have made the laudable decision to serve their country they live in an era in which lives are played out, at a price, in the media. This may be reality or it may be so called "reality TV".

My problem is with the people at the Ministry of Defence and with the Secretary of State himself. They blew a golden opportunity to salvage something from the debacle of the capture and the so called diplomatic relations that followed.

The hostages clearly wanted to be reunited with their families but there was a strong case for taking them away for a short period of reflection which would have given the "powers that be" time to reflect on the best way forwards. I firmly believe that we would then have had an opportunity for the hostages to tell their story but in a way which did not lead to personal profit and would have highlighted the parts of the tale which are best for Britain. Spin? Media manipulation? Of course! But isn't this infinitely better than the whole thing being spun out of control by a combination of Whitehall incompetence and the media feeding frenzy?

Published with kind permission of Romsey Advertiser