Tory MP Ben Bradley sorry for 'vasectomies for unemployed' posts
The Mansfield MP, recently promoted by the Theresa May, is being criticised for his 2012 comments about benefits claimants.
Wednesday 17 January 2018 05:48, UK
A Tory MP recently appointed to a prominent party position has apologised after it emerged he had written a blog post suggesting benefit-claimants should have vasectomies.
Ben Bradley, who was promoted by the Prime Minister this month to become Conservative vice chairman for youth, wrote the UK could be "drowning in a vast sea of unemployed wasters" without a cap on welfare payments.
In a 2012 post on his personal blog, titled consbradders32 and uncovered by Buzzfeed News on Tuesday, the Mansfield MP wrote: "Sorry but how many children you have is a choice; if you can't afford them, stop having them! Vasectomies are free."
He added: "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!"
The blog has since been deleted.
Apologising for the posts, Mr Bradley said: "My time in politics has allowed me to mature and I now realise that this language is not appropriate."
Cat Smith, Labour's shadow minister for youth affairs, said: "These repulsive comments expose the Tories' disgraceful attitude to unemployed people.
"That they come from a man Theresa May chose as a vice chair of her party speaks volumes. The nasty party is alive and well."
Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran said: "These hugely misinformed and offensive comments should shame Mr Bradley and the Tory party.
"It beggars belief that someone who has shown such contempt for young people who are out of work has been tasked by the Prime Minister to improve her party's appeal with young voters.
"This is another example of a shocking lack of due diligence by May and her team when making appointments to influential roles. This seriously draws their judgement into question."