Fury at Bradshaw's 'bad taste' remark
CULTURE Secretary Ben Bradshaw sparked outrage yesterday when he made what was interpreted as a bad taste remark on the Internet about David Cameron's dead son.
The Exeter MP used the social networking website Twitter to counter comments by the Tory leader about wanting to make Labour's "big government" smaller if his party won the next election.
But Mr Bradshaw's message on the site was seen by hundreds of members of the public to be referring to the care of Mr Cameron's son Ivan, who was born with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, and required constant care until his death in February this year at the age of six.
In a "tweet" on the website, Mr Bradshaw, Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, said: "The camerons (sic) got good nhs care thanks to Labour's investment and reform. is this the 'big government' he derides?"
The message was viewed by almost 2,000 people who follow Mr Bradshaw's comments on the site, which has the handle @BenBradshawMP. They then repeated the comments on their own pages for hundreds of thousands of others to see.
And they attracted scores of complaints from people including political satirist Armando Ianucci, who encouraged people to see what the former BBC journalist turned Labour politician had said.
The creator of The Day Today and In the Thick of It wrote: "See latest @BenBradshawMP for gob-hammeringly insensitive political point-scoring.
"We're truly entering The Dawn of The UberT***."
His remarks were repeated by hundreds of other online users of the website.
Some users of the site were equally forthright. Several called on the Exeter MP to resign, with one calling it an "unbelievably desperate cheap shot".
Another, Russ Hope, from London, wrote: "For politics so pernicious and vacuous it makes you want to vomit, go to @BenBradshawMP. Stop the world, I want off."
Mr Bradshaw later backtracked from the comments, writing: "It wasn't meant to be offensive. Point is they will the ends but not the means. Need positive government to deliver these things."
The Western Morning News approached Mr Bradshaw yesterday to explain the original remark.
His office issued a statement clarifying his position regarding Mr Cameron but not mentioning the offending message.
The statement read: "Like millions of other people in this country, David Cameron says his experience of the NHS has been good. But at the same time, he blamed in his conference speech the country's ills on something he calls 'big government'.
"The NHS hasn't improved by accident. It's improved as a result of the hard work and dedication of NHS staff and decisions made by Government. Those decisions have included much more investment, better pay and targets, which the Tories say they would scrap."
The Conservatives declined to comment on the issue.
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by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Monday, October 12 2009, 2:35PM
“:| Oh come on Scaramanga! . Ben Bradshaw, "didn't to be offensive!" . Get real! . . It's part of the Labour Party's basic training now! . Haven't you heard how abusive Peter Mandelson has been lately?”
by Scaramanga, South China Sea
Monday, October 12 2009, 7:51AM
“Nice to see yet another thread taken over by the Euro morons. Thanks guys, really love wading through your rubbish on every story.
Bradshaw clearly didn't mean to be offensive, the problem was that he was offensive. And while he had a valid point that has been lost beause he was too inarticulate in the use of social media to put it across properly. Perhaps he should stick to press releases or simply be a lot more careful.”
by B Jenkins, Truro
Monday, October 12 2009, 6:55AM
“NHS expenditure in interpreters and translation ¿ Plymouth Teaching PCT
09/03/2009 translation and interpretation costs for the year 2007- 2008, using the Freedom of Information Act.
Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust is in accordance with Section 1.-(1) (a) & (b) of the Act is supplying the information to you.
The cost was £52,217.65
Now this is repeated all over the UK! Is this part of the NHS improvements I wonder?”
by Reg, Pt
Sunday, October 11 2009, 5:58PM
“I have said before in this forum and will say again that the only way is to saturate the Country with troops and the best available equipment. No other way will work. It needs to be a head-on Mil strategy not a piece-meal political one.”
by Charles Henry 1945-(diuturnity), Somersetshire
Sunday, October 11 2009, 4:44PM
“:| Yet again it is Europe that is 'The Weakest Link'. . Always running down America, or trying be her equal; but always failing dismally when it really matters.”
by scoobish, Surrey
Sunday, October 11 2009, 2:12PM
“Clinton is here. Now, considering that the US Generals have asked Obama for 40,000 more troops, the US electorate don't want another 40,000 troops going to Afghanistan.
Clinton is here to petition Brown and Milipede for more British troops to fight their war in Afghanistan. Clinton wants British troops to be part of this 40,000 troop increase to eliviate the US from using theirs wich would not go down well in the USA as they too are against this war.
Only a couple of weeks ago the US administration was dissin the UK over Libya, yet now the arrogant Clintoness is purporting how important the special relationship is.
To supply more British Troops for the American war.
Yes, American war. the constant UK Gov reference to 7/7 being an Al Qaeda / Taliban attack is plainly a lie of the greatest proportions. It was home grown terrorists that carried out these London attrocities, not Al Qaeda, NOT the Taliban.
It is an American war due to 9/11 which was caused by American foreign policy...
Remember the old days when a Brit travelled all over the world without let or hinderence? Long gone now, Due to USA'a aggression in all theatres”
by Steve Ish, Guildford
Sunday, October 11 2009, 10:50AM
“All journalists are lefties, this is well known that they are indoctrinated into leftie idiology. this is why the State broadcasting commission (BBC (bias broadcasting company)) are not explaining what the EU Commission actually means to Britain. Surrender to the Franco-German alliance (EU Commission).
25 of the 27 European Nations have surrendered to the Unelected EU Commission. Poland have just signed their surrender too. Only Vaclav Klaus and the Brits, can stop this end of our democracy.
Are we to let the UK be conquered by this Franco-German alliance (EU Commission)??? I hope not. How can a group of private individuals (unelected E U Commission) conquer Europe without a shot being fired? how can so many independent European countries surrender to this unelected body?
If Vaclav cannot hold out until after our G/E then we are well and truely (naughty word!!!)
Conservatives do not offer a way out of this surrender.
The only way to ensure that we, the United Kingdoms of Great Britain remain a free, Independant democratic Nation, not subservient to an EU Commission of UNELECTED people is to vote UKIP
United Kingdom Independence Party (the clue is in the name!!!”
by max power, st austell
Sunday, October 11 2009, 10:20AM
“I have no affiliations and I'm not a Bradshaw fan but spot on Will, Reg, Gaffer. We know there is no way he meant to cause offence, it's a valid point of Labour's investment in the NHS so who's making the cheap shots? The Dawn of the Uber T*** is reminiscent of regurgitated bile we read in the politically hijacked broadsheet blogs”
by Freethinker, Cornwall
Saturday, October 10 2009, 3:53PM
“Remember B. Jenkins, the soviet EU is the only way foward for us all. They know what's best for us all. Democracy was just a by product of a corporation called Parliament. We have no right to voice any opinion, except for the voice to support the EU. Britain is dead as a nation. Our social identity & sovereignty sold down the river along time ago, whilst the British people thought nothing of it or fast asleep and unaware of what was to come. Well, that time has come and the British people are still asleep. I'm sorry to say that we our finished as a British nation.”
by The Gaffer, Saltash
Saturday, October 10 2009, 3:49PM
“Mr Bradshaw is speaking the truth, but perhaps a little insensitive.
The NHS has made enormous progress, but this can only be maintained with maximum support from central government.
Not one new hospital was built during the Tory regime of 19 years up to 1997. Waiting times were three years for a serious operation, now down to a few weeks. I was on the three year list in 1996 and witnessed the death of many people in great pain because of the long wait. Remember Virginia Bottomley as Health Secretary??.
Some indication of government support to the NHS in recent years is seen with the number of new hospitals, medical schools, pioneering procedures, NHS Direct and so on.
Sometimes the whole truth, however hurtful,has to be spoken in order to ger the message across.
Finally, I am glad too that the conference season has finished, entirely stage managed now and just meaningless.
Front page news in a leading newspaper this morning was speculating on how much HE paid for that suit and how much SHE paid for that dress. Perhaps the next list of MP expenses will enlighten us!!.”