Tim Bell, Lord Bell the advertising and public relations chief who passed away at the age of and 77 was the person whom he claimed had invented an idea for the campaign phrase “Labour Isn’t Working” that helped Margaret Thatcher win the 1979 general election. Tim Bell went on to become one of her most trusted advisors throughout her life. He declared her dead in April of 2013. “I loved her,” said he in his own autobiography written by a ghostwriter Right or Wrong, published in the year following. “I am a god-worshipper. I serve myself and my demi-gods.”In her autobiography, Thatcher claimed that Bell had a better political ear than other political figures: “He could pick up faster than any other shift in the mood of the country. And, unlike the majority of advertising professionals, he knew that selling ideas was different than the sale of soap.”
Bell it was that person who along and Gordon Reece, advised Thatcher about interviewing techniques, what clothes to wear , and even her hairstyle. She also celebrated Christmas at Chequers while she was the prime minister. “She transformed my life in a major way. She thought I was normal people. God does not know why.”Indeed. While Bell was the type of person who enticed his female counterpart as being a courtier elegant, straightforward and sporting the appearance of the 1950s British film star He really did not have any relationship with the people around him despite being born in the north of suburban London and having been educated at an official grammar school. He was a heavy drinker and heavy on costs, and a smoker who smoked for 80 hours a day living in Belgravia and living life was a blur of backstage gossip and casual flirtation when it came to business. “The only talent I have is charm,” the scion confessed in an interview with Campaign magazine in 2014.
Bell was born in Southgate as her father was Arthur Bell, a salesman from Belfast who had left his wife of Australian origin Greta (nee Findlay) and moved into South Africa when his son was five years old. Bell later married Peter Pettit, a solicitor who was elected his Conservative Mayor of Marylebone at the age of 61. Bell attended Queen Elizabeth grammar school, Barnet however, she left the school at the age of 17 to work as a postroom messenger at ABC Television.He considered becoming a teacher, but later stated on The Daily Telegraph in 2015 that he was averse to the field due to its “lazy, whingeing, Guardian-obsessed staff rooms”. Instead Bell was able to get various positions in companies for advertising before making the move to join Saatchi brothers Charles Saatchi and Maurice Saatchi, who in 1970 set up their own advertising company.
It was a tough-driving newcomer in the field, fighting for business , but with an aversion for larger, more established businesses. Bell did well. Bell was known to some, but it was never known for Maurice or Charles being the brother with the 3rd, Bell took on the role of an unofficial managing director, making relationships with national newspaper editors and smoothing out internal disputes. In 1979, after the Saatchis was elected to victory over the Tory accounts for the upcoming election and the election was to be held in 1979, it Bell was Bell who was appointed to coordinate with Thatcher.
While James Callaghan’s Labour government was in a slump however, the agency’s shrewd campaign certainly helped change the odds, particularly by displaying a poster that depicted the long list of jobless people claiming to be Conservative party volunteers who were recruited to the occasion.Bell claimed the credit for the campaign however, others from Saatchi and Saatchi came up with the idea for the poster. Thatcher evidently had to be certain that the message Labour isn’t Working was effective because it mentioned the Tories opposition in a larger size than their opponents. One of Bell’s responsibilities at the time, and in later years was to steer her clear of some of her more ignorant ideas.
Bell was an unofficial adviser during The term of Thatcher’s presidency and would often join in late-night drinks. In 1984, he was assigned for The National Coal Board to advise on presentation during the strike of miners however he only had small success working with the brusque and awkward Chairman Sir Ian MacGregor.A one of the mottos that attracted Bell is: “Why tell the truth when a lie will do?” Bell said that in the memoirs of his father: “I am a moral man (but) there were many times when I would adopt the same philosophy.” He said to the effect that He “retrofitted” facts: “We could in those days find statistics that proved anything … you could argue we were always trying to stretch the truth, but then everybody was at the time.” When the next Tory chairperson, Chris Patten, queried the truthfulness of the assertion, Bell’s reply is “We’re not saying it’s true, we are saying it could be true.”
Bell quit the Saatchis in 1985 to establish his own agency for public relations, Lowe Howard-Spink and Bell that later changed to Bell Pottinger three years later and was later merged in 1994 by Chime Communications, of which Bell became the chairman. Bell Pottinger became well-known for its willingness to endorse right-wing individuals and governments, with the argument that everyone should have representation.The campaign, along with its discriminatory criticism of “white monopoly capital” opponents and other clients of the agency, riled up including billionaire Johann Rupert, who complained. The situation grew more tense when Bell was revealed to have participated in the discussions regarding taking on the company, and then sent an enthusiastic email to London anticipating the possibility of a lucrative deal.
While clients left Bell Pottinger around the globe and Bell’s claim that he actually opposed the agreement sounded hollow especially when Bell was to Newsnight in defense from the constant sounds of his mobile being ringing – a typical mistake for a supposed public relations expert. The business went under in a matter of days.Bell was ill as a result of his smoking chain cigarettes for a number of years, which led to diabetes and cancer. He underwent a triple heart bypass surgery in 2001. The knight was awarded by Thatcher in 1991 following her quit office, and was made a knight in 1998 by Tony Blair in 1998, in spite of his opposition to Tony Blair, the Labour leader.
