|
|
| Line 1: |
Line 1: |
| − | '''Benjamin Peter James Bradshaw''' ([[birth|born]] 30 August 1960) [[United Kingdom|British]] [[politician]] and is the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] [[Member of Parliament]] for [[Exeter (UK Parliament constituency)|Exeter]]
| + | nn |
| − | | + | |
| − | The Minister for Local Environment, Marine and Animal Welfare with the rank of [[Minister of State]] at the [[Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs]], he was one of the first openly [[gay]] MPs.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Biography==
| + | |
| − | Ben Bradshaw was born in [[London]], the son of a [[Church of England]] [[Vicar#Anglican|vicar]] and was educated at the [[Thorpe St Andrew]] School, the [[University of Sussex]] where he was awarded a degree in [[German language|German]], he also attended the [[University of Fribourg]]. He became a [[reporter]] with the [[Exeter]] Express and Echo in 1984, he was appointed as a reporter with the [[Eastern Daily Press]] in [[Norwich]] in 1985. He joined the [[BBC]] in 1986 as reporter with [[BBC Radio Devon]]. In 1989 he became the award winning [[Berlin]] [[journalist|correspondent]] with [[BBC Radio]] and was serving in the city at the time of the [[Berlin wall#The fall of the wall|fall of the Berlin Wall]]. He became a reporter in 1991 with BBC Radio's [[The World At One]] programme, where he stayed until his election to [[Palace of Westminster|Westminster]]. He won the [[Sony]] [[News]] Reporter Award in 1993.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | Ben Bradshaw was selected to contest the marginal [[British House of Commons|parliamentary]] seat of Exeter at the [[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997 General Election]] after the first choice candidate, John Lloyd, was deselected by the local Labour party on instructions from Labour HQ. The sitting [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP, John Hannam had retired and the Conservatives chose Adrian Rogers to be their candidate. This created a very interesting election campaign, Bradshaw an openly [[homosexuality|gay man]], and Rogers a [[Christian]] and leading member of the [[religious right]]. The campaign was vitriolic and bitter with allegations of [[homophobia]] and [[Sin#Christian views of sin|sin]]. The result, however was not close, and Ben Bradshaw was elected as the Labour MP for Exeter with a majority of 11,705. He made his [[maiden speech]] on 4 July 1997.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | In Parliament Ben Bradshaw introduced the [[Pesticide]]s Act in 1998 [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980026.htm)], which gave more powers to inspectors. He became a [[Parliamentary Private Secretary]] to the [[Minister of State]] at the [[Department of Health]] [[John Denham]] in 2000. After the [[United Kingdom general election, 2001|2001 General Election]] Bradshaw entered [[Tony Blair|Tony Blair's]] government as the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the [[Foreign and Commonwealth Office]]. Only days after being appointed to the Foreign Office he had to answer questions following [[[[2001]] [[September 11]] attacks|the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001]]. Bradshaw became the Deputy to the [[Leader of the House of Commons]] [[Robin Cook]] in 2002, and was an Under Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2003 until 2006, when he was made a [[Minister of State]] at the same department.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | His support for the [[Iraq War]] proved unpopular amongst many in a seat with a high student population.
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==Personal life==
| + | |
| − | When first elected in 1997, Ben Bradshaw was one of the first [[Gay#Sexual orientation|gay]] MPs to be [[coming out|out]] at the time he was initially elected, along with [[Stephen Twigg]]. He lives with his partner, Neal Dalgleish, who is a [[BBC]] producer [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4786378.stm] On 24 June 2006, Bradshaw and his partner undertook a [[civil partnership]] ceremony, the first MP to do so [http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17288401%26method=full%26siteid=62484%26headline=first%2dgay%2dmp%2dwed%2d-name_page.html] . He does not own a [[automobile|car]]; instead he frequently [[bicycle|cycles]]. His brother is [[Jonathan Bradshaw]], [[Order of the British Empire|CBE]], [[Professor]] of [[Social Policy]] at the [[University of York]].
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | ==External links==
| + | |
| − | * [http://www.benbradshaw.co.uk/ Ben Bradshaw official website]
| + | |
| − | * [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-552,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics — Ask Aristotle: Ben Bradshaw MP]
| + | |
| − | * [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ben_bradshaw/exeter TheyWorkForYou.com — Ben Bradshaw MP]
| + | |
| − | * [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1998/19980026.htm Pesticides Act 1998]
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | {{lgbt|Ben Bradshaw}}
| + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | | + | |
| − | [[Category:Living people]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:Alumni of the University of Sussex]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:Christian LGBT people]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:Current British MPs]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:Gay politicians]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:Labour MPs (UK)]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:LGBT politicians from the United Kingdom]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament from English constituencies]]
| + | |
| − | [[Category:UK MPs]]
| + | |
