Ben Bradshaw facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Ben Bradshaw
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | |
| In office 11 May 2010 – 8 October 2010 |
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| Leader | Harriet Harman (Acting) Ed Miliband |
| Preceded by | Jeremy Hunt |
| Succeeded by | Ivan Lewis |
| Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport | |
| In office 5 June 2009 – 11 May 2010 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Andy Burnham |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Hunt |
| Minister of State for Health | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 5 June 2009 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Andy Burnham |
| Succeeded by | Mike O'Brien |
| Minister for the South West | |
| In office 28 June 2007 – 5 June 2009 |
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| Prime Minister | Gordon Brown |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Jim Knight |
| Minister of State for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare | |
| In office 13 June 2003 – 28 June 2007 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Elliot Morley |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Deputy Leader of the House of Commons | |
| In office 29 May 2002 – 13 June 2003 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | Stephen Twigg |
| Succeeded by | Phil Woolas |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs | |
| In office 12 June 2001 – 29 May 2002 |
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| Prime Minister | Tony Blair |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Scotland of Asthal |
| Succeeded by | Mike O'Brien |
| Member of Parliament for Exeter |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | John Hannam |
| Succeeded by | Steve Race |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw
30 August 1960 London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouse | Neal Dalgleish |
| Alma mater | University of Sussex |
| Website | Official website: http://www.benbradshaw.co.uk/ parliament..ben-bradshaw |
Sir Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw, born on August 30, 1960, is a British politician. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Exeter from 1997 to 2024. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the House of Commons, which is part of the UK Parliament.
Ben Bradshaw was also a Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2009 to 2010. This role involves looking after things like arts, sports, media, and tourism for the country. Before becoming an MP, he worked as a reporter for BBC Radio. He is a member of the Labour Party.
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Early Life and Journalism Career
Ben Bradshaw's father was an Anglican priest. His mother was Daphne Murphy. Ben went to Thorpe Grammar School. He then studied German at the University of Sussex. He also spent time studying in Germany at the University of Freiburg.
From 1982 to 1983, Ben taught English in Switzerland. In 1984, he started working as a reporter for the Express & Echo newspaper in Exeter. He later joined the Eastern Daily Press in Norwich.
In 1986, Ben Bradshaw began working for BBC Radio Devon. He became a BBC Radio correspondent in Berlin in 1989. He was in Berlin when the Berlin Wall fell, which was a very important historical event. In 1991, he became a reporter for BBC Radio's The World at One. He won the Sony News Reporter Award in 1993 for his excellent journalism.
Parliamentary Career
Becoming an MP
Ben Bradshaw was chosen to run for the Exeter parliamentary seat in the 1997 general election. He won the election and became the Labour MP for Exeter. He gave his first speech in the House of Commons on July 4, 1997.
In 1998, he helped introduce the Pesticides Act. This law gave more power to inspectors who check on the use of pesticides. In 2000, he became a Parliamentary Private Secretary. This role supports a government minister. He worked with the Minister of State at the Department of Health.
First Government Roles
After the 2001 general election, Ben Bradshaw joined Tony Blair's government. He became the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This department handles the UK's relationships with other countries. He had to answer questions about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, soon after starting this job.
In 2002, he became the Deputy to the Leader of the House of Commons. This role helps manage the government's business in Parliament. From 2003 to 2006, he was an Under Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This department deals with environmental issues, farming, and animal welfare. He later became a Minister of State in the same department. During this time, he helped negotiate changes to fishing rules for British fishing boats.
In 2003, Ben Bradshaw supported the government's decision to take action in Iraq. He also supported laws in 2005 that allowed terror suspects to be held without trial.
Health Minister Role
On June 28, 2007, Ben Bradshaw became a Minister of State in the Department of Health. He was also given the role of Minister for the South West. This meant he looked after health matters for the whole country and also specific issues for the South West region of England.
During his time as Health Minister, he discussed various health topics. He talked about access to NHS dentistry and the use of computer technology in the National Health Service (NHS). He also defended charges for car parking at NHS hospitals. He stated these charges helped pay for patient care.
He also supported plans to bring private management into some NHS hospitals. This idea was debated by different groups.
Culture Secretary and Later Career
In May 2009, there were discussions about his expenses as an MP. Ben Bradshaw stated that the claims made about his expenses were incorrect.
On June 5, 2009, he was appointed Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. He held this important position until the 2010 general election. After the election, he served as the Shadow Culture Secretary. This meant he was the main spokesperson for the Labour Party on culture, media, and sport while they were not in government.
In October 2010, he was not elected to the Shadow Cabinet of the new Labour leader, Ed Miliband. In 2011, he supported the NATO-led military action in Libya. In 2013, he voted in favor of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Bill, which allowed same-sex marriage.
After the 2015 general election, Ben Bradshaw ran for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. He gained enough support to stand in the election but came last.
He was a critic of Jeremy Corbyn, who became the Labour leader. However, he later praised Jeremy Corbyn's performance in the 2017 election. In 2016, he opposed a motion for the UK to stop supporting the Saudi Arabian–led intervention in Yemen.
In December 2016, Ben Bradshaw suggested that the result of the 2016 Brexit referendum might have been influenced by Vladimir Putin. He believed this fit a pattern of interference in other countries' affairs. He also said he received an email with malware, which he thought was a cyberattack. He continued to raise questions about Russia's role in UK democracy.
On February 3, 2022, Ben Bradshaw announced that he would not be running in the 2024 general election. This meant he retired from being an MP in May 2024.
Other Activities and Recognition
In 2009, Ben Bradshaw received the Stonewall Politician of the Year Award. This award recognized his work to support equality for lesbian, gay, and bisexual people. He was given a perfect score by Stonewall for his efforts in this area.
He became a member of the Privy Council in 2009. This is a group of senior advisors to the King. Being a member gives him the special title "The Right Honourable".
In the 2023 Birthday Honours, Ben Bradshaw was made a Knight Bachelor. This means he received the title "Sir" for his political and public service.
Personal Life
Ben Bradshaw's brother is Jonathan Bradshaw, a professor of social policy.
See also
- Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum
