Ben Bradshaw
@benbradshaw.bsky.social
Ex Labour Minister & ex MP for Exeter, now growing olives in Sicily.
He/him
He/him
Not sure what these Labour MPs hope to achieve by talking to the Telegraph in these terms, except damage to the Government. They want more spending, no cuts, yet object to credible ways of raising money. Fantasy economics.
November 9, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Not sure what these Labour MPs hope to achieve by talking to the Telegraph in these terms, except damage to the Government. They want more spending, no cuts, yet object to credible ways of raising money. Fantasy economics.
I hadn’t, till now thought it sensible for the Government to break it’s manifesto pledge on tax, but this is compelling, given the fiscal pressures, global headwinds & the imperative to increase significantly spending on defence.
September 23, 2025 at 5:24 AM
I hadn’t, till now thought it sensible for the Government to break it’s manifesto pledge on tax, but this is compelling, given the fiscal pressures, global headwinds & the imperative to increase significantly spending on defence.
Sensible advice to Labour MPs from the FT this morning.
September 17, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Sensible advice to Labour MPs from the FT this morning.
A useful corrective from tax expert & Labour member @danneidle.bsky.social to Andy Burnham & others calling for a “wealth tax” from today’s FT.
September 13, 2025 at 10:12 AM
A useful corrective from tax expert & Labour member @danneidle.bsky.social to Andy Burnham & others calling for a “wealth tax” from today’s FT.
Wonderful to see record turn-out for this year’s #transpride. Such a joyful crowd in solidarity against hatred, bigotry & ignorance.
July 26, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Wonderful to see record turn-out for this year’s #transpride. Such a joyful crowd in solidarity against hatred, bigotry & ignorance.
Thrilled to have received my copy of Created for Love by leading @churchofengland.org thinkers as the church continues to struggle to become welcoming & inclusive to all.
July 26, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Thrilled to have received my copy of Created for Love by leading @churchofengland.org thinkers as the church continues to struggle to become welcoming & inclusive to all.
Deeply honoured to have received honorary doctorates from my alma mater @sussex.ac.uk which made me & @exeter.ac.uk which has done so much for #Exeter & the South West. Two great universities in a sector that all governments should value & nurture.
July 25, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Deeply honoured to have received honorary doctorates from my alma mater @sussex.ac.uk which made me & @exeter.ac.uk which has done so much for #Exeter & the South West. Two great universities in a sector that all governments should value & nurture.
Very excited that the banana we inherited from my dear late sister flowered in our London back yard for the first time on her birthday. Might we get bananas?
July 11, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Very excited that the banana we inherited from my dear late sister flowered in our London back yard for the first time on her birthday. Might we get bananas?
Great letter. Sums up the current nonsense, much of it in the Guardian. So, credit for printing it.
June 1, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Great letter. Sums up the current nonsense, much of it in the Guardian. So, credit for printing it.
A good letter from Parliament’s joint committee on human rights to the head of the EHRC following their rushed guidance after the Supreme Court ruling.
May 4, 2025 at 2:58 PM
A good letter from Parliament’s joint committee on human rights to the head of the EHRC following their rushed guidance after the Supreme Court ruling.
This Mail on Sunday headline is so ridiculous it made me laugh, but the transphobia now rampant in parts of the UK media is no laughing matter for trans people & their families.
April 27, 2025 at 5:48 AM
This Mail on Sunday headline is so ridiculous it made me laugh, but the transphobia now rampant in parts of the UK media is no laughing matter for trans people & their families.
The Naked man & Green winged orchids have arrived. 😍
March 26, 2025 at 5:57 AM
The Naked man & Green winged orchids have arrived. 😍
Such a thrill when the first swallows & bee orchids arrive & on the same day.
March 14, 2025 at 7:02 AM
Such a thrill when the first swallows & bee orchids arrive & on the same day.
This doesn’t go as far as it should, but how nice to have something positive amid the grim global news. Every day of Trump ll confirms what a fateful error #Brexit was for Britain.
February 21, 2025 at 8:20 AM
This doesn’t go as far as it should, but how nice to have something positive amid the grim global news. Every day of Trump ll confirms what a fateful error #Brexit was for Britain.
Good to see today’s Times, usually very hostile to our Labour Government, backing Keir Starmers’s reset in relations with the rest of Europe, including a mutually beneficial youth mobility scheme.
February 5, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Good to see today’s Times, usually very hostile to our Labour Government, backing Keir Starmers’s reset in relations with the rest of Europe, including a mutually beneficial youth mobility scheme.
Interesting corrective on the UK economy,but can anyone on here explain why our electricity prices are still based on natural gas when so much of it is Now generated from cheaper renewables.
January 19, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Interesting corrective on the UK economy,but can anyone on here explain why our electricity prices are still based on natural gas when so much of it is Now generated from cheaper renewables.
Once more The Times gloomy leader & news sections at odds with their factual business section reporting which highlights the FTSE 100 at record highs & the IMF upgrading UK growth forecast. Odd.
January 18, 2025 at 3:53 AM
Once more The Times gloomy leader & news sections at odds with their factual business section reporting which highlights the FTSE 100 at record highs & the IMF upgrading UK growth forecast. Odd.
Superb interview by the Bishop of Newcastle, displaying the leadership the @churchofengland @churchstate badly needs if it’s to survive as our national established church.
December 14, 2024 at 8:07 AM
Superb interview by the Bishop of Newcastle, displaying the leadership the @churchofengland @churchstate badly needs if it’s to survive as our national established church.
Credit to the Rochester diocese. It’s incredible that the current Archbishop’s Council & its senior leadership are still in place. If General Synod won’t remove them, Parliament, to which @churchofengland as England’s established church is answerable, must.
December 9, 2024 at 5:45 AM
Credit to the Rochester diocese. It’s incredible that the current Archbishop’s Council & its senior leadership are still in place. If General Synod won’t remove them, Parliament, to which @churchofengland as England’s established church is answerable, must.
Two of John Prescott’s memorable campaigning visits to #Exeter. He helped in elections more than any other Cabinet Minister in my 27 years as MP. 🥰
November 21, 2024 at 10:31 AM
Two of John Prescott’s memorable campaigning visits to #Exeter. He helped in elections more than any other Cabinet Minister in my 27 years as MP. 🥰