Elected as the MP for Exeter in 1997 during the great Blair landslide. Having never lost his seat and having been a journalist; Mr Bradshaw is very much a veteran of British Politics. The newly journalist-turned-politician won in 1997 what had been considered - for most of post-war British history - a safe Conservative seat. Prior to 1997, the parliamentary seat of Exeter had seen - since the creating of the Labour Party in 1900 - only one Labour MP (Gwyneth Dunwoody, 1966-70). Though the victory was certainly aided by the popularity of New Labour, the Exeter MP has never dipped below 38% of the vote. the seat is now no longer considered a safe Tory seat, but rather a safe Labour one. In 2017, Ben achieved his biggest vote share yet - he now holds 62% of the vote. Though at least part of this new upsurge can be attributed with Corbyn's popularity.