Ben Bradshaw
A former BBC journalist who became a steadfast Labour MP, championing LGBTQ+ rights and his Exeter constituency for nearly three decades.
Born 1960 (age 66)·British Labour politician·Birthday: August 30·Baby Boomers
Biography
Ben Bradshaw’s path to Westminster was paved not in party meetings, but in radio newsrooms. He cut his teeth as a BBC journalist, reporting from Berlin as the Wall fell—an experience that shaped his understanding of politics as a ground-level story. Elected as MP for Exeter in 1997, he brought a reporter's clarity and a personal conviction to his work. As one of the first openly gay MPs elected, and the first to enter a civil partnership, his presence and advocacy were pivotal in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality, including the repeal of Section 28 and the passage of same-sex marriage laws. His ministerial career peaked as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, where he oversaw the digital switchover for television. Through shifting political tides, Bradshaw remained a dedicated constituency MP, known for his diligent casework and a moderate, pragmatic voice within Labour, representing Exeter until his retirement in 2024.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Ben was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ben Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Ben's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the UK's Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport from 2009 to 2010.
- Was one of the first openly gay MPs elected and the first to enter a civil partnership while in office.
- Represented the constituency of Exeter as its MP for 27 years, from 1997 to 2024.
Did You Know?
He is a fluent German speaker, having studied in Germany and worked as the BBC's Berlin correspondent.
He is a committed cyclist and often commuted to the House of Commons by bicycle.
Before politics, he briefly worked on a pig farm in Germany.
“Good journalism and good politics both require listening to people's real stories.”
