Tory MP Ben Bradley forced to deny he said free meals only paid ‘crack dens and brothels’

1806
Tory MP Ben Bradley forced to deny he said free meals only paid ‘crack dens and brothels’

Mansfield MP Ben Bradley tweeted his opposition to Marcus Rashford’s free school meals campaign, which he voted against this week

Mansfield MP Ben Bradley tweeted his opposition to Marcus Rashford’s free school meals campaign, which he voted against this week.

Bradley has sparked fury on Twitter after apparently suggesting that vouchers given to feed school children over the summer holidays “effectively” handed cash directly to “crack dens and brothels”.

Ben Bradley, who represents the constituency of Mansfield, reportedly made the comments after posting about how Labour’s free school meals motion wouldn’t have helped those most in need.

The MP tweeted a thread which began: “At one school in #Mansfield 75% of kids have a social worker, 25% of parents are illiterate. Their estate is the centre of the area’s crime. One kid lives in a crack den, another in a brothel.

But Mr Bradley has since deleted his tweets and claims “I absolutely did not say what is being reported, nor is that even close to what the context of the thread was about.”

He said he was speaking about two specific children he knows of who live in an environment surrounded by drugs and crime – and did not make any broad brush statements or criticisms of parents who need free school meals.

Adding insult to injury the MP says he was actually making a case for more help – that these kids need more than food.

0 Tory MP says food vouchers spent on drugs but claims he meant two specific families

In a series of tweets earlier on Friday evening, Ben Bradley said: “At one school in #Mansfield 75% of kids have a social worker, 25% of parents are illiterate. Their estate is the centre of the area’s crime.

“One kid lives in a crack den, another in a brothel. These are the kids that most need our help, extending #FSM doesn’t reach these kids 1/4.

“2/4 thats why I said no to extending #FSM. 100,000s of the 1.4m kids on FSM don’t need it, whilst those most in need won’t benefit from it as they need much more direct and targeted support.

“We can spend that money better to help the most vulnerable kids more effectively.

“3/4 We’ve given £bns to Councils to target these vulnerable families & kids, so that they can give out meals if thats what is best and most needed, or different help if its better…

“Nobody is ‘not helping’ but #FSM isn’t precise enough to target vulnerable kids with right help.

“There is no sense whatsoever in pretending to ourselves that just giving 1.4m kids free meals in hols fixes things.

“Many kids don’t need it, and many in genuine need won’t benefit from it due to extreme lives and problems.

“To be effective, we have to be more personal and local.”

A twitter user called Adam replied to the thread saying: “£20 cash direct to a crack den and brothel really sounds like the way forward with this one…”

And in a now deleted tweet, Mr Bradley wrote: “Thats what FSM vouchers in the summer effectively did…”

In a statement to the Daily Mirror, Mr Bradley explained his comments saying: “I absolutely did not say what is being reported, nor is that even close to what the context of the thread was about. Its hugely frustrating that I will now be shot down for something I haven’t said!

Angela Rayna tweeted to the backtracking Bradly who now seems to be fearful of the just response he is getting on social media. Let’s hope the anger rides until the next election when the people of Mansfield can out the Tory from his precarious perch.

“I spoke about extreme examples of poverty in my constituency: two children I know of who live in an environment surrounded by drugs and crime.

“I said that its these children we most need to help, but that FSM does not help them.

What a disgusting attitude, my children were entitled these vouchers

One deservingly angry tweet responded saying: “What a disgusting attitude, my children were entitled these vouchers, because my husband was sick with pancreatic cancer and on ESA with a partner element…how dare he? I am furious…we were given a piece of paper with a barcode for Tesco, no money! How dare this #ToryScum

Ben Bradley’s bitter resentment of the working class is catalogued in his blog and Twitter account.

Ben Bradley is not new to controversy, he caused outrage after comments he made saying unemployed people should get vasectomies were unearthed, also published a series of offensive opinions about public sector workers.

Bradley was forced to apologise after a blogpost in which he advised the unemployed to get vasectomies was unearthed.

This New Tory Party Vice Chair Suggested Unemployed People Should Have Vasectomies
Bradley was forced to apologise after a blogpost

The Mansfield MP is chair of the Blue Collar Conservatives, a group of Tory MPs who claim to identify as working class.

Bradley attended Derby Grammar School. A private institution which currently charges up to £14,233 per student per year.

He came under fire for suggesting that benefit claimants should have vasectomies to prevent them having more children.

In a 2012 blog post, the now-MP wrote: “Sorry but how many children you have is a choice; if you can’t afford them, stop having them! Vasectomies are free.

“Families who have never worked a day in their lives having four or five kids and the rest of us having one or two means it’s not long before we’re drowning in a vast sea of unemployed wasters that we pay to keep!”

Bradley is not just a nasty Tory, he is a nasty person, period.

Support Labour Heartlands

Help Us Sustain Ad-Free Journalism

Sorry, I Need To Put Out the Begging Bowl

Independent Journalism Needs You

Our unwavering dedication is to provide you with unbiased news, diverse perspectives, and insightful opinions. We're on a mission to ensure that those in positions of power are held accountable for their actions, but we can't do it alone. Labour Heartlands is primarily funded by me, Paul Knaggs, and by the generous contributions of readers like you. Your donations keep us going and help us uphold the principles of independent journalism. Join us in our quest for truth, transparency, and accountability – donate today and be a part of our mission!

Like everyone else, we're facing challenges, and we need your help to stay online and continue providing crucial journalism. Every contribution, no matter how small, goes a long way in helping us thrive. By becoming one of our donors, you become a vital part of our mission to uncover the truth and uphold the values of democracy.

While we maintain our independence from political affiliations, we stand united against corruption, injustice, and the erosion of free speech, truth and democracy. We believe in the power of accurate information in a democracy, and we consider facts non-negotiable.

Your support, no matter the amount, can make a significant impact. Together, we can make a difference and continue our journey toward a more informed and just society.

Thank you for supporting Labour Heartlands

Just click the donate button below