SHE may be regarded as political Public Enemy Number One among Merseyside's opposition activists. But peer into the future some years and could Esther McVey ever become Britain's second female tenant at 10 Downing Street?
Commentators have heaped praise on the Conservative member for Wirral West since her recent call for young people to think small when job hunting. Starting at the bottom, as a lowly paid employee in a coffee shop is no bad thing, says the former television presenter and ex-pupil of Belvedere School in Liverpool.
The trouble is, many of the casualties of the War Against Benefits are vulnerable people in genuine need. Far too many have fallen victim to the hurdles thrown in their path by draconian policies
The Labour movement in and around Liverpool have made Esther McVey one of their main targets in the run up to next year’s general election. They launched an “Esther McWho” drive as they headed to the posh environs of Hoylake and West Kirby to woo voters back to the Milliband camp.
Wishful thinking aside, few people today would use the term McWho, given the meteoric rise up the political greasy pole since her election in 2010. After a spell as the Minister for the Disabled, Esther McVey is now the Minister for Employment, and is fast carving herself a reputation at Westminster as credible front-bench material.
Deborah Meaden, Queen of Dragon’s Den, was so glowing in that bastion of Conservatism., the Daily Mail, you’d have thought she was the unofficial leader of the McVey Cheerleaders Club.
Fan: Deborah Meaden
Currently touring the UK on the Strictly Come Dancing bus, Ms Meaden leafed through the papers to catch up on what was happening away from the dance floor.
“It was after reading the Mail I whooped so loud that up that up and down the bus headphones were coming off and everyone was looking to see what on earth had happened.
“And what had happened…newspaper headlines reporting a Government minister talking common sense for once. That minister was the brilliant Esther McVey, the bubbly Liverpudlian who gave up an exciting career in TV to become an MP and who has already reached impressive heights by becoming Employment Minister. Well, she could rise even further if she keeps talking the sound common sense that she articulated so fluently.”
During her spell as Minister for the Disabled, McVey was villified for the way she dragged claimants off their benefits.
The Liberal Democrat Disability Association called on David Cameron to sack her. It was after she commented (again in the Mail) that she would go after “bogus” claimants of disability benefits, stating that one in 17 could receive the allowance within five years if the current rate continued.
"When Maria Miller was removed from the job of Minister for Disabled People, people celebrated. But it turns out her replacement, Esther McVey, is no better. In fact, she may be worse," a petition by the LDDA read.
In her interview, McVey also said only three per cent of people are born with a disability with the rest acquiring it through accident or illness. But, she contends that people can come out of it thanks to modern medicine and medical advances which help bodies to completely heal.
In the wake of Government enforced medical checks, around 900,000 people dropped their claims for incapacity benefit rather than take medical tests.
Of those who took the work capability tests, 837,000 were considered fit to work immediately and another 367,300 were considered able to do some level of work - adding up to more than 2m people considered no longer eligible for incapacity benefit.
The trouble is, many of the casualties of the take-no-prisoners War Against Benefits are vulnerable people in genuine need. Far too many of them have fallen victim to the hurdles thrown in their path by draconian policies. This, and bad or botched administration of benefits by the DWP, regularly makes headlines, not least when an individual takes their own life.
Once described as Tory Minister for Encouraging Hatred of Disabled, the on-line blog Eyes Left pulled no punches in its view of McVey.
“Esther McVey spends much of her time sucking up to her bosses, the prime minister, 'Deckchair Dave' (on the off-chance that he's actually in the country), and the much hated and vile IDS, in the vain hope that she will be noticed and promoted to something more senior in Government. I hope she isn't holding her breath, after all she "talks funny" and the Tories already have one token Northerner in the very large form of Eric Pickles.
Esther McVey: Villified by the left
“However, there may be a small chance of an opening for a female 'Northern brown nosing creep' I suppose, and Esther McVey, certainly fills that brief! Every time I see this woman on the TV what she is actually saying gets drowned out by her very loud metaphorical shouting and overt body language screaming; "hey notice me, I'm blonde, I'm female and I'm Northern, pick me, pick me, please pick me Dave, please, pretty please.”
It goes on: “May be Cameron and IDS thought that Esther McVey's past experience in her family's business of demolition and site clearance would be asset to the DWP? After all they are the government who are viciously bulldozing the lives of disabled people and exiting leaving a trail of death, suicide and destruction behind them.
“What next for McVey? Kicking away blind people's white canes? Repossessing electric wheelchairs from people who can barely walk and also have minimal use in their upper limbs? Taking away disabled people's cars rendering them prisoners in their own homes and forcing many to give up the jobs they have struggled to hold? Too late, if she wants to get on in this hideous government she'll have to find new ways to assault the disabled as IDS is already doing all of the above.”
I’ve interviewed McVey (who has recently submitted plans to Liverpool City Council for a major building project opposite Waterloo Warehouse) many times. There is no doubt she is a hard working politician and willing, eager even, to stand by the policies she passionately promotes.
The fact is many comfortably off, able-bodied people picking up their Daily Mail in middle England are likely to support the work of Esther McVey and her front bench colleagues determined to slash the welfare bill.
Nevertheless, who knows? Maybe one day there will be rallies at the end of Downing Street to the strains of "Esther, Esther, Esther …. Out, Out, Out."
