Veteran Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has been awarded a knighthood in the King’s Birthday Honours for his political and public service. Sir Ben says he was in two-minds over whether to accept the award in light of the recent controversy surrounding Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list.
But the Labour former minister, who was only the second MP to be openly gay when he was first elected in 1997, says he has come to regard the honour as a thank you to all those who have supported him in Exeter and beyond.
Sir Ben told the PA news agency: “I wasn’t sure about accepting it because of doubts about the honour system, and particularly in the light of recent events. But also the fact that there are many unsung heroes and heroines in my constituency far more worthy of recognition.
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“But I guess I then thought, well, my late dad would have been very proud. My mum would have laughed very loudly.
“So in their memory and on behalf of all the people who’ve supported me in my public and private lives over many, many years, I’d like this to be seen as a thank you to them really, because without them I couldn’t have done the job.”
Sir Ben, who faced homophobic abuse when he was first elected 26 years ago, also issued a stark warning that LGBTQ+ rights are at risk of “going backwards’. He said a highlight of his parliamentary career, which saw him serving a number of ministerial roles including as culture secretary in 2009-10, was the “fantastic” progress made on LGBTQ+ equality during Sir Tony Blair’s government.
But he said it feels like “things have come full circle” with the “moral panic that’s being stoked against trans people” today. Sir Ben added: “The LGBTQ+ community and their allies and the overwhelming majority of the British people who support equality, we must all redouble our efforts to ensure that hard-won rights and freedoms are not reversed.”
Sir Ben, 62, who is stepping down as an MP at the next general election, also paid tribute to the people he has represented in Parliament for over a quarter of a century. “I consider myself incredibly lucky to have served such a fantastic constituency as Exeter, which must be the nicest constituency in the country.”
The MP is a popular face in the city and can often be seen cycling around the streets of his constituency, or amongst the Big Bank crowd at St James’s Park, cheering on Exeter City. On his plans for post-MP life, Sir Ben said he will “move to a smallholding in Sicily and improve the productivity of my olive trees”.
Sir Ben is not the only Devonian to be recognised for the incredible work over the last 12 months. As ever, there are plenty of people from around Devon who have received an honour in the latest group.
Here is the King’s Birthday Honours List 2023 in full for Devon:
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
- Dr Peta Jane Dunckley Foxall. Lately Chair, The Wildlife Trusts. For services to Nature Conservation. (East Budleigh, Devon)
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
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Julia Elizabeth Adamson. Managing Director, Education and Public Benefit, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. For services to Education. (Cullompton, Devon)
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Professor Pascale Veronique Aebischer. Professor, Shakespeare and Early Modern Performance Studies, University of Exeter. For services to Economic and Societal Resilience during Covid-19. (Exeter, Devon)
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David Alfred Baker. Foster Carer, Plymouth City Council. For services to Children. (Plymouth, Devon)
- Vivienne Patricia Baker MBE, 75-years-old. For services to Children. Plymouth, Devon.
David and Vivienne Baker have offered their home to 48 children and young people from the Plymouth area, as well as adopting a child who now has a family of their own. David, 74, and Vivienne, 75, have received their honours for services to children. Even though they are now in their mid-70s, they continue to actively provide a warm, therapeutic, loving and stimulating family environment for children whose plans are adoption.
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Susannah Jane Baker. Co-Founder, The Pickwell Foundation. For services to Ukrainian Refugees. (Croyde, Devon)
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Dennis John Mardon MBE, 73-years-old. Chair, Citizens Advice Exeter. For services to Vulnerable People. (Crediton, Devon)
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Marjorie Elaine Baylis. Deputy Regional Chair, Membership, Conservative Party South West. For Political Service. (Tiverton, Devon)
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Sara Louise Cox. Referee. For services to Rugby Union. (Exeter, Devon)
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Patricia Clare Spruce MBE, 46-years-old, (Paignton, Devon) Associate Director, People Services and Recruitment, Yeovil District Hospital and Somerset NHS Foundation Trusts. For services to the NHS.
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Sarah Mary James. Director, Craft Festival. For services to Craft. (Newton Abbott, Devon)
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Jonathan David Covey BEM, 58-years-old, (Plymouth, Devon). Tree Nursery Manager, Trustee and Treasurer, Moors Trees Charity. For services to the Environment.
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Dennis John Mardon. Chair, Citizens’ Advice Exeter. For services to Vulnerable People in Exeter, Devon. (Crediton, Devon)
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Hilary Jasmine Erica Paynter. Exhibitions Secretary, Society of Wood Engravers. For services to the Arts. (Bideford, Devon)
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Gail Fiona Pirkis. Co-Founder and Editor, Slightly Foxed. For services to Literature. (Newton Abbot, Devon)
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Dr Shubha Platt (Shubha Sathyendranath). Merit Scientist, Remote Sensing, Plymouth Marine Laboratory. For services to Oceanography. (Plymouth, Devon)
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Patricia Clare Spruce (Patricia Murphy). Associate Director, People Services and Recruitment, Yeovil District Hospital and Somerset NHS Foundation Trusts. For services to the NHS. (Paignton, Devon)
Medallists of the Order of the British Empire (BEM)
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Margaret Francis Dorothy Boadella. Lately Association Chair, Plymouth Moorview, Conservative Party South West. For Political Service. (Plymouth, Devon)
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Jonathan David Covey. Tree Nursery Manager, Trustee and Treasurer, Moors Trees Charity. For services to the Environment. (Plymouth, Devon)
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Thomas Stephen Coyle. War Pension and Armed Forces Compensation Scheme Advocate, RMA – The Royal Marines Charity. For services to Veterans and Serving Members of HM Armed Forces. (Plymouth, Devon)
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Lynnette McElheron. For services to Vulnerable People and to the community in Newton Abbot, Devon. (Newton Abbot, Devon)
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George Stables. Boxing Coach and Official. For services to Amateur Boxing in Devon. (Plymouth, Devon)
Intense Boxing Club, Burrington Way.
Pictured: George Stables
Contact: Danny Lawson (coach) 07928255759
Reporter: Bill Richards
George Stables has been involved in Amateur boxing in Plymouth & the County of Devon since 1969. He left the Royal Marines after 10 years’ service, and began coaching children and young adults in the Plymouth area at various clubs before joining Devonport Amateur Boxing Club as a coach in 1980.
He has given thousands of hours of his time to the training of young people at the gym, three evenings a week and also travelling all over the UK to mid-week and weekend boxing shows. He is an inspiration to hundreds of Plymouth adults who were coached by him over the last 40 years.
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