Esther McVey

The Right Honourable
Esther McVey
MP
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Assumed office
8 January 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May
Preceded by David Gauke
Government Deputy Chief Whip in the House of Commons
Treasurer of the Household
In office
2 November 2017 – 8 January 2018
Prime Minister Theresa May
Chief Whip Julian Smith
Preceded by Julian Smith
Succeeded by Christopher Pincher
Chair of the British Transport Police Authority
In office
19 November 2015 – 2 May 2017
Deputy Brian Phillpott
Mark Phillips
Preceded by Millie Banerjee
Succeeded by Mark Phillips (Acting)
Minister of State for Employment
In office
7 October 2013 – 8 May 2015
Prime Minister David Cameron
Sec. of State Iain Duncan Smith
Preceded by Mark Hoban
Succeeded by Priti Patel
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabilities
In office
4 September 2012 – 7 October 2013
Prime Minister David Cameron
Sec. of State Iain Duncan Smith
Preceded by Maria Miller
Succeeded by Mike Penning (Minister of State for Disabled People)
Member of Parliament
for Tatton
Assumed office
9 June 2017
Preceded by George Osborne
Majority 14,787 (30.1%)
Member of Parliament
for Wirral West
In office
6 May 2010 – 7 May 2015
Preceded by Stephen Hesford
Succeeded by Margaret Greenwood
Personal details
Born Esther Louise McVey
(1967-10-24) 24 October 1967
Liverpool, England
Political party Conservative
Domestic partner Phillip Davies[1]
Alma mater Queen Mary University of London
City University London
Liverpool John Moores University

Esther Louise McVey (born 24 October 1967) is a British Conservative Party politician and has been Secretary of State for Work and Pensions since 8 January 2018. She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Tatton in 2017. Previously she was MP for Wirral West from 2010 until losing the seat in 2015.

A former Minister of State at the Department for Work and Pensions (2013–15), McVey was appointed a privy councillor in February 2014, and in July the same year, was accorded the further privilege of attending Cabinet by the Prime Minister. She had previously served the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People (2012–13).[2]

Before entering politics, McVey was a television presenter and businesswoman.

Early life and career

McVey, of Irish Catholic descent,[3] was born in Liverpool. She spent the first two years of her life in foster care as a Barnardo's child.[4] She was educated at the Belvedere School, before reading Law at Queen Mary University of London (LLB) and Radio Journalism at City University London (MA). In July 2009, McVey graduated with the degree of MSc (with Distinction) in Corporate Governance from Liverpool John Moores University, and also won the North of England Excellence Award[5] for her work.

From 2000 to 2006, McVey was a director of her family's Liverpool-based construction business J. G. McVey & Co. (run by her father)[6] which specialised in demolition and site clearance,[7] land reclamation and regeneration. In 2003, the firm received two immediate prohibition safety notices with which the company complied.[8]

Media career

McVey returned to the family business after university, while undertaking a postgraduate course in Radio Journalism at City University, before embarking on a career in the media, both as a presenter and producer.[9]

McVey was a co-presenter of the summer holiday Children's BBC strand But First This in 1991, and has subsequently presented and produced a wide range of programmes, co-hosting GMTV,[10] BBC1's science entertainment series How Do They Do That?,[11] 5's Company, The Heaven and Earth Show, Shopping City, BBC2's youth current affairs programme Reportage, and Channel 4's legal series Nothing But The Truth with Ann Widdecombe.[12][13] McVey has debated at the Oxford Union and took part in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool.[14]

McVey returned to Liverpool and set up her own business, Making It (UK) Ltd,[15] which provides training for small and medium enterprises, as well as providing office space for new startup businesses which led to her founding "Winning Women",[16] supported by funding from the North West Regional Development Agency.[17]

Political career

A supporter of Conservative Way Forward,[18] a Thatcherite organisation, McVey was selected to stand as the Conservative Party candidate in the 2005 general election for the Wirral West constituency, but lost to the sitting Labour MP Stephen Hesford by 1,097 votes.

First term (2010–15)

In the 2010 general election, McVey gained Wirral West defeating the Labour candidate, Phil Davies, by a 2,436 majority (16,726 votes cast, 42.5% vote share).[19] In 2010, McVey was Parliamentary Private Secretary to then-Employment Minister Chris Grayling.[20] From 2012 to 2013, she was Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Work and Pensions, working underneath Iain Duncan Smith.[21]

In December 2013, she was formally reprimanded for using House of Commons notepaper and postage to electioneer for the Conservative Party; she apologised and repaid the £300 costs.[22]

At his 7 October 2013 reshuffle, David Cameron appointed her Minister of State for Employment in the Department for Work and Pensions. McVey was sworn into the Privy Council on 27 February 2014.[23]

In April 2014, McVey was criticised on social media for attacking the Wirral Labour Group in a tweet published while a memorial service for the Hillsborough disaster was being held at Anfield. Later, in a radio interview with BBC Radio Merseyside, she expressed regret over the mistiming of her communication and also stated that she did not personally send the tweet.[24]

Then-backbench Labour MP John McDonnell in November 2014 discussed a "Sack Esther McVey Day" among Labour activists and politicians, saying that "a whole group in the audience" argued 'Why are we sacking her? Why aren't we lynching the bastard?'"[25] The Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps called for Labour to withdraw the whip from McDonnell.[25] The official Labour Party Twitter feed said McDonnell's comments "don't represent the views of the Labour Party. He speaks for himself".[26] In 2015, speaking to Robert Peston of ITV, McDonnell defended his comments by saying that he was "simply report[ing] what was shouted out at a public meeting". On the same day as his "lynch" remarks, in a debate in the House of Commons, McDonnell criticised McVey for playing the victim and proceeded to call her a "stain of inhumanity".[27]

Out of parliament (2015–17)

In the 2015 general election McVey was defeated by the Labour candidate Margaret Greenwood who gained the Wirral West seat by 417 votes.[28][29]

After losing her seat, McVey took up the post of chair of the British Transport Police Authority from November 2015, on a four-year contract with a three months' notice requirement. However, 10 days after it was announced that a 2017 general election would take place, McVey resigned the post having been paid between £86,000 and £89,000 in 15 months. Between the elections she also had part-time jobs as a special adviser to two investment firms and a fellowship at the University of Hull.[30]

Second term (2017–present)

In April 2017, McVey was selected to succeed George Osborne as the Conservative candidate for the June 2017 general election in his safe seat of Tatton.[31] She was elected, with around the same vote share as Osborne gained in 2015 (58.6%), but with a decreased majority. In a reshuffle prompted by Michael Fallon's resignation as Secretary of State for Defence in the wake of sexual assault allegations, and in which former Chief Whip Gavin Williamson replaced Fallon and his deputy Julian Smith replaced Williamson, McVey was appointed Deputy Chief Government Whip.

On 8 January 2018, McVey was appointed as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.[32] Labour MP Dan Carden said McVey's appointment "will put fear in the hearts of the vulnerable and disabled. The last time McVey was at DWP she was rightly ejected from parliament by the voters of Wirral West, not least for her callous attitude to claimants."[33]

In July 2018 it was revealed by the head of the National Audit Office (NAO) that McVey had misled parliament over the new universal credit scheme by claiming that the NAO report showed that it should be rolled out faster when in fact the report concluded that the roll-out should be paused.[34] She apologised to the House of Commons on 4 July 2018[35][36] amid calls for her resignation.[36] Margaret Greenwood said in Parliament, "The secretary of state should be ashamed that she has been forced to come to this house again. If she misread this report so badly this brings in to question her competence and her judgment. If she did read the report and chose to misrepresent its findings, she has clearly broken the ministerial code. Either way, she should resign."[37]

McVey has said that there are problems with Universal Credit. The Guardian wrote, "Tens of thousands of ESA claimants will receive back-payments of £5,000–£20,000 as a result of what MPs have called a series of 'avoidable' mistakes. The DWP was warned of the error as early as 2014, but failed to take action until 2017."[38] Polly Toynbee wrote, "It's no surprise that a minister who misleads parliament and thumbs her nose at the NAO is even more indifferent to the people who really matter – the millions suffering her department's infliction of extreme hardship as they are transferred to UC."[39]

Personal life

McVey lives in West Kirby, Wirral. McVey has previously been in a relationship with BBC producer Mal Young,[40] as well as former Conservative frontbencher Ed Vaizey[41] and when in London, she formerly shared a flat in Pimlico with Conservative colleague, Philip Davies,[42] with whom she has had a "long time on-and-off romantic interest"[43] and is currently partnered.[1] The house-sharing arrangement ended when McVey lost her first seat at the 2015 general election.[44]

A longstanding friend of Kate McCann, McVey helped her family set up the Madeleine McCann Fund, becoming a founding trustee.

References

  1. 1 2 Shipman, Tim (15 July 2018). "The odd couple clicked at last, but Tory plotters won't be pacified as easily as Donald Trump". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 13 August 2018. (Subscription required (help)).
  2. ↑ "Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Disabled People". www.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  3. ↑ "House of Commons Hansard Debates for 21 Jun 2012 (pt 0001)". parliament.uk.
  4. ↑ "I was a Barnardo's child, Esther McVey reveals". The Times. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
  5. ↑ North of England Excellence (1 April 2015). "Overview". northofenglandexcellence.co.uk.
  6. ↑ "Esther McVey". enforbusiness.com.
  7. ↑ "Esther McVey selected as Parliamentary Candidate". Wirral West Conservatives.
  8. ↑ Wall, Tom (9 October 2013). "McVey loses safety brief". Environmental Health News. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Odone, Cristina (16 February 2014). "Esther McVey: 'Marriage never came my way. I don't know why'". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  10. ↑ Wightman, Catriona (2 January 2017). "CBBC's most iconic presenters: Where are they now?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  11. ↑ O'Grady, Sean (4 July 2018). "'Esther McVey received less of a grilling for misleading parliament than most vulnerable people do trying to claim universal credit'". The Independent. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  12. ↑ Hernon, Ian (19 May 2010). "Political correspondent Ian Hernon meets new Wirral West MP Esther McVey". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  13. ↑ "Prospective parliamentary candidate Esther McVey for Wirral West". Wirral West Conservatives. Archived from the original on 1 February 2004. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  14. ↑ Hancock, Beverley (2003). "The Vagina Monologues". Liverpool Stage. BBC. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  15. ↑ "The Pool of business at the House". politicsfirst.org.uk.
  16. ↑ "Winning Women – About Us". Winning Women. Archived from the original on 17 September 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  17. ↑ Collinson, Dawn (29 November 2010). "MP Esther McVey launches a magazine to inspire teenage girls". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  18. ↑ Hope, Christopher (15 July 2014). "Pen portraits of the 10 Conservative women ministers who were promoted in the reshuffle". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  19. ↑ "UK General Election Wirral West Vote Result". BBC.
  20. ↑ "Government publishes list of Parliamentary Private Secretaries". Government of the United Kingdom. 17 November 2010.
  21. ↑ Godfrey, Hannah (9 January 2018). "Esther McVey - All advisers need to know about new DWP chief". Professional Adviser. Retrieved 14 August 2018.
  22. ↑ Eden, Richard (1 December 2013). "Tory rising star Esther McVey is formally reprimanded". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  23. ↑ "Privy Council appointments: February 2014" (Press release). Office of the Prime Minister. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  24. ↑ Johnson, Mark (11 April 2014). "Wirral MP Esther McVey in social media storm after sending out party-political tweet during Hillsborough service". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  25. 1 2 Coates, Sam (14 November 2014). "Labour refuses to sack MP for lynching joke". The Times. Retrieved 27 April 2017. (subscription required)
  26. ↑ Hope, Christopher (13 November 2014). "Labour distances itself from MP's lynching remarks". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  27. ↑ Asthana, Anushka (25 September 2016). "McDonnell defends calling Tory MP 'stain of inhumanity'". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  28. ↑ Carter, Helen (8 May 2015). "Conservative Esther McVey loses her Wirral seat by just over 400 votes". The Independent. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  29. ↑ Bartlett, David (8 May 2015). "Esther McVey Lost: What went wrong in Wirral West?". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  30. ↑ "McVey's paydays". Private Eye. London: Pressdram Ltd. 25 August 2017.
  31. ↑ "Esther McVey selected to contest Tatton for Conservatives". BBC News. 26 April 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
  32. ↑ "Esther McVey has just been promoted to Work and Pensions Minister". Liverpool Echo. 8 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
  33. ↑ Walsh, James (9 January 2018). "'McVey's appointment is vindictive': readers on the Tory reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  34. ↑ Syal, Rajeev (4 July 2018). "Esther McVey misled MPs over universal credit, says watchdog". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  35. ↑ McVey, Esther (4 July 2018). "Oral statement to Parliament - Universal Credit and National Audit Office report". gov.uk. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  36. 1 2 Syal, Rajeev (4 July 2018). "Calls for McVey to resign over misleading MPs on welfare changes". The Guardian.
  37. ↑ "Esther McVey refuses to widen apology over claim she misled MPs". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  38. ↑ Butler, Patrick (19 July 2018). "Esther McVey admits ongoing problems with universal credit". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  39. ↑ Toynbee, Polly (5 July 2018). "Esther McVey has to go. Her downright lies are dangerous". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  40. ↑ Odone, Cristina (16 February 2014). "Esther McVey: 'Marriage never came my way. I don't know why'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  41. ↑ Rajan, Amol; Morris, Nigel (25 April 2009). "You probably won't have heard of them ... but they're the Tory future". The Independent. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  42. ↑ "Former wife of Shipley MP is expecting baby". Keighley News. 6 April 2013. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  43. ↑ Lee, Dulcie (18 May 2018). "Esther McVey's trip to the races shows why MPs' private lives are public". New Statesman. Retrieved 24 June 2018.
  44. ↑ "Philip Davies moves on from Esther McVey – Spectator Blogs". Spectator Blogs. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Stephen Hesford		 Member of Parliament
for Wirral West
2010–2015		 Succeeded by
Margaret Greenwood
Preceded by
George Osborne		 Member of Parliament
for Tatton
2017–present		 Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Maria Miller		 Undersecretary of State for Disabilities
2012–2013		 Succeeded by
Mike Penning
as Minister of State for Disabilities
Preceded by
Mark Hoban		 Minister of State for Employment
2013–2015		 Succeeded by
Priti Patel
Preceded by
Julian Smith		 Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Commons
2017–2018		 Succeeded by
Christopher Pincher
Treasurer of the Household
2017–2018
Preceded by
David Gauke		 Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
2018–present		 Incumbent
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.