MP 'overwhelmed' by media

MP 'overwhelmed' by media

Mr Reed says he is on good terms with the Prime Minister

The first MP to leave the government over the Iraq crisis has recalled what it was like to be thrust into the international media spotlight.

Loughborough MP Andy Reed has rarely spoken publicly since standing down as parliamentary private secretary to Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett on 9 March.

However, in an interview with BBC Radio Leicester on Thursday, he said the media's reaction to his decision caught him by surprise.

"I had 160 requests for media interviews in 24 hours," he said.

The Arab satellite TV channel Al-Jazeera requested an exclusive interview but Mr Reed said he rejected such requests because he did want to undermine Prime Minister Tony Blair.

I got my cups back and they enjoyed their cup of tea

Andy Reed MP

"I tried to quietly slip away... as it turns out it got a little bit more attention than I think anybody else would ever have imagined.

"I didn't want to rock the boat ... I just wanted the freedom to speak on a particular issue.

"I didn't doubt that the local media would be interested in what I had to say, but I hadn't guessed that literally world-wide (journalists) would be on my door step wanting to know my views.

"My decision not to speak to them was quite right because they only had one agenda... to talk about splits and undermining the Prime Minister."

Freedom to speak

Despite his decision to stay silent, Mr Reed still showed a soft spot for crews from the 10 media vans parked outside his house, taking them cups of tea.

"I got my cups back and they enjoyed their cup of tea," he said.

Despite the war ending successfully for the allies, Mr Reed said he stands by his decision to quit.

"I think even before it happened I knew, or reasonably knew, that militarily the United States and UK could win a conflict.

I had a chat with him (Tony Blair) before I decided to do what I did and he was quite happy with the decision I'd taken

Andy Reed, MP

"The reasons I stood down to allow myself to speak more freely are still valid.

"I think the situation we have now justifies in a sense why I did need to speak out, because we still don't have that international consensus yet about the best way forward."

Mr Reed said he also remained on good terms with colleagues in London, including the Prime Minister.

"People who may disagree with my views and worry that I've let the Prime Minister down... that's not the view of Tony.

"I had a chat with him before I decided to do what I did and he was quite happy with the decision I'd taken.

"And then we had a half an hour a couple of weeks ago and he understood what I'd done and thanked me for the way I'd done it by not running around to the media trying to undermine his works."