Will Wirral West divest itself of Esther McVey?

Esther McVey: Her constituents want her sacked from the government.

Esther McVey: She seems to get a perverse thrill from pretending her government’s policies are helping people; it is more likely they are driving the needy to despair and suicide.

There is little that this blog can add to the litany of outrage against the woman who has been dubbed ‘Fester McVile’ by commentators who are feeling kind towards her.

In a previous column, this blog stated that the employment minister, who works under Iain Duncan Smith, “has accumulated a reputation so bad that the only way she can hide the metaphorical stink from the public is by associating with …Smith himself, in whose stench she seems almost fragrant. But not quite”. How accurate those words are.

This is a woman who has lied to the public that it is impossible to carry out a cumulative assessment of the impact on the sick and disabled of the Coalition’s ‘final solution’ changes to the benefit system.

This is the woman who, in the face of public unrest about the prevalence of zero-hours contracts, announced that Job Centre advisors will now be able to force the unemployed into taking this exploitative work.

She has previously misled Parliament over the loophole in Bedroom Tax legislation that meant the government had removed Housing Benefit from thousands of people who were exempt from the measure – including Stephanie Bottrill, whose suicide has been attributed to the pressure of having to survive on less because of the tax. Asked how many people had been affected by the loophole, McVey played it down by claiming she did not know the answer, while other ministers suggested between 3,000 and 5,000. In fact, from Freedom of Information requests to which just one-third of councils responded, 16,000 cases were revealed. Esther McVey is a very strong supporter of the Bedroom Tax

Mark Hoban stood in for McVey to trot out the lie that independent reviews of the Work Capability Assessment had identified areas of improvement on which the government was acting. In fact, out of 25 recommendations in the Year One review alone, almost two-thirds were not fully and successfully implemented.

In a debate on food banks, McVey’s lies came thick and fast: She accused the previous Labour government of a “whirl of living beyond our means” that “had to come to a stop” without ever pausing to admit that it was Tory-voting bankers who had been living beyond their means, who caused the crash, and who are still living beyond their means today, because her corporatist (thank you, Zac Goldsmith) Conservative government has protected them.

She accused Labour of trying to keep food banks as “its little secret”, forcing Labour’s Jim Cunningham to remind us all that food banks were set up by churches to help refugees who were waiting for their asylum status to be confirmed – not as a support system for British citizens, as they have become under the Coalition’s failed regime.

She said the Coalition government was brought in to “solve the mess that Labour got us in”, which is not true – it was born from a backroom deal between two of the most unscrupulous party leaders of recent times, in order to ensure they and their friends could get their noses into the money trough (oh yes, there’s plenty of money around – but this government is keeping it away from you).

She said the Coalition had got more people into work than ever before – without commenting on the fact that the jobs are part-time, zero-hours, self-employed contracts that benefit the employers but exploit the workers and in fact propel them towards poverty.

She lied to Parliament, claiming that children are three times more likely to be in poverty if they are in a workless household. In fact, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, in-work poverty has now outstripped that suffered by those in workless and retired households; children are more likely to be in poverty if their parents have jobs.

She attacked Labour for allowing five million people to be on out-of-work benefits, with two million children in workless households – but under her government the number of households suffering in-work poverty has risen to eight million (by 2008 standards), while workless or retired households in poverty have risen to total 6.3 million. Esther McVey has very strongly supported cuts to social security benefits.

She claimed that 60,000 people were likely to use a food bank in 2014 – but Labour’s Paul Murphy pointed out that 60,000 people would use food banks that year in Wales alone. In 2013-14, the actual figure for the whole of the UK – counting only people who received a minimum of three days’ emergency food from Trussell Trust food banks alone – was 913,138 – nearly 23 times more than at their height during the last Labour Government.

Thanks to Nick Rhodes for editing the graph showing the rise of food bank use, to add in the most recent increases. The height of the image speaks for itself.

Thanks to Nick Rhodes for editing the graph showing the rise of food bank use, to add in the most recent increases. The height of the image speaks for itself.

She said the Coalition’s tax cuts had given people an extra £700 per year, without recognising that the real-terms drop in wages and rise in the cost of living means people will be £1,600 a year worse-off when the next general election takes place, tax cuts included. She said stopping fuel price increases meant families were £300 better-off, which is nonsense. Families cannot become better off because something has not happened; it’s like saying I’m better off because the roof of my house hasn’t fallen in and squashed me.

Her talents won exactly the recognition they deserved when her Wikipedia entry was altered to describe her as “the Assistant Grim Reaper for Disabled People since 2012, second only to Iain Duncan Smith. She was previously a television presenter and businesswoman before deciding to branch out into professional lying and helping disabled people into the grave.”

In her food bank speech, she also said the government had brought in Universal Credit to ensure that three million people become better-off. There’s just one problem with that system – it doesn’t work.

How would residents vote if they knew Esther McVey’s voting record? Let’s find out.

This minister of state for Work and Pensions very strongly supported cuts to social security benefits including Jobseekers’ Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, the Personal Independence Payment and so on.
She very strongly supported the benefit uprating cap, ensuring that benefits do not rise in line with prices.
She supported making local councils responsible for helping people afford council tax, while reducing the amount available for such support.
She very strongly supported the Bedroom Tax.

She is very strongly in favour of the current government’s creeping privatisation of the NHS.

She is very strongly against increasing income tax paid by the extremely rich; strongly against a bankers’ bonus tax; strongly in support of cutting Corporation Tax (even though this does not make companies more likely to invest in the UK or its workforce); and very strongly supported the increase in VAT. Clearly she believes in taxing the poor to pay for the rich.

She is a strong supporter of military operations overseas.
She is strongly against strengthening the Military Covenant.
She has voted both for and against a referendum on the UK’s membership of the EU.

She very strongly supports privately-run ‘Free Schools’ and privately-owned ‘Academy Schools’; she voted very strongly for the increase in undergraduate tuition fees to £9,000 per year; and she voted very strongly to end financial support for 16-19 year olds in training and further education. Clearly she only wants education to be available to those who can afford it.

She is against localism and has voted to reduce both the powers of local councils and their funding.

She supported very strongly the waste of money that is Police and Crime Commissioners.
She supported the restriction of Legal Aid that has made justice available only to the rich.
She strongly supports secret courts.

She supported the invasion of privacy that allows the security services to monitor and keep information about your communications.

She voted very strongly for the botched privatisation of the Royal Mail – and for the sale of England’s state-owned forests.

She supports unrestricted rises in rail fares, and is against regulation of gambling.

She is very strongly against equal gay rights, and voted against same-sex marriage.

She supported the badger cull.

If you live in Wirral West, you need to know this information.

Vox Political readers are invited to distribute it to friends and relatives who live there.

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16 Comments

  1. Nick March 24, 2015 at 12:06 pm - Reply

    she like the those heads of state in the middle east always trying to make out their helping ? all there helping is more death and destruction

    They like to make out their middle class in the wirrell so will vote for her i wouldn’t think they would care much about the sick and disabled as it’s not really that sort of place it’s not really Liverpool i wouldn’t live their that i do know

    it’s bad enough near gatwick where i live full of people who know nothing and seen nothing if you died in the street they would walk straight past you

  2. M de Mowbray March 24, 2015 at 12:18 pm - Reply

    Great article. Whenever I see her being interviewed I get the chills. She is incapable of discussion and incapable of empathising with anyone who does not agree with her. Instead, She spouts out endless “statistics” and “facts” as if they are all that matters, as if humanity is a “Tick Box” commodity. Furthermore, the “statistics” and “facts” that she rattles off in an endless and aggressive stream of verbal diarrhoea have been selectively garnered, “massaged”, distorted and even genuinely falsified. This does not bother McVile, who like a born-again zealot thinks that everything can falsified to suit her bitter hatred of anyone who disagrees with her exceptionally narrow-minded opinions and view of the world.

  3. Peter Rogers March 24, 2015 at 12:25 pm - Reply

    Also hugely important to the people of Merseyside is the Hillsborough Tragedy and it’s place in their collective memory, so tweeting a political attack on Labour during last years remembrance service ought not be forgotten
    http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/wirral-mp-esther-mcvey-social-6993933

    • wildswimmerpete March 24, 2015 at 5:41 pm - Reply

      Although I now live in Runcorn, I’m a exiled Wirralian. Quite a few of the victims of Hillsborough lived in Runcorn. MvVile has to pay for her callousness by loss of her ill-deserved West Wirral seat.

  4. jaypot2012 March 24, 2015 at 12:33 pm - Reply

    She’ll get her comeuppance in May – just think, she’ll be just like her boss IDS, a failure :)

  5. pat March 24, 2015 at 1:16 pm - Reply

    Mike, i live in Wirral West, she is my MP, hopefully not for much longer, i will forward this page to everyone i know.

  6. casalealex March 24, 2015 at 1:48 pm - Reply

    Cruella McVile was appointed Minister of State for Employment on 7th October 2013. This is a day which will live in infamy. But, the day of 7th May 2015 will be the day when decency will be victorious, and all those who have suffered under the jackboot of her and her henchman IDS will begin to shake off their Tory inflicted shackles and be free.

  7. malcolm jamieson March 24, 2015 at 4:43 pm - Reply

    she shut down all the remploy factories that gave the disabled a purpose and dignity of a job amongst their friends which acted in a good way for them all to be out of their homes,working and leading as normal a life as they could.evil witch needs booting out on may 7th with the rest of conservative twats.

    • Mike Sivier March 24, 2015 at 6:34 pm - Reply

      I think the Remploy closures were started by Maria Miller. Hmm. Now what’s her constituency…?

      • wildswimmerpete March 24, 2015 at 8:12 pm - Reply

        Here you go Mike:

        http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/11389/maria_miller/basingstoke/votes

        “How Maria Miller voted on Welfare and Benefits

        Voted very strongly for reducing housing benefit for social tenants deemed to have excess bedrooms (which Labour describe as the “bedroom tax”)

        Voted very strongly against raising welfare benefits at least in line with prices

        Voted very strongly against paying higher benefits over longer periods for those unable to work due to illness or disability

        Voted strongly for making local councils responsible for helping those in financial need afford their council tax and reducing the amount spent on such support

        Voted strongly for a reduction in spending on welfare benefits

        Voted moderately against spending public money to create guaranteed jobs for young people who have spent a long time unemployed”

        Another one singing to the same Tory HQ hymn sheet. Tory MPs do seem to be sheeple.

      • malcolm jamieson March 24, 2015 at 8:16 pm - Reply

        maria miller of Winchester who was yet another one who thought its ok to steal from the public purse you mean? mcvile might not of started it but had a big part of the closures of them safe places for the disabled to work and enjoy life.

  8. Scarletina March 24, 2015 at 6:12 pm - Reply

    The new Edwina Currie. And like Currie this woman’s mouth will eventually hang her.

  9. Nick March 24, 2015 at 11:59 pm - Reply

    Edwina Currie. Esther McVey Maria Miller.david cameron all very bad people with a sinister outlook on others all of the same age group

    most mp’s today are in that age group i’m not sure why that age group are so uncaring maybe someone could enlighten me?

    what is it about those born in around 1970 ? why is it that generation today are so selfish or is it just those who wont power and wealth or is it normal where you live to find this age group so dishonest and selfish

    i personally find those born in 1990 and after a much better breed all round as they hate their older peers for some reason

    maybe we will never get a true answer or we might just have to except that some people like the above are just born evil and it’s as simple as that at the end of the day

    my own gut feeling is that some people like the above are just born evil and that’s always been the case throughout history

    going into politics for a secure lifestyle as a mp getting involved standing down and then taking a top job with the company you’ve been helping out in your retirement from being a mp

    as i say it’s probably very simple starting your life in a family of greed so that when you grow up that’s all you know take take take after all we only have to look at the mp’s expenses

    going in to politics to help the public that’s what they always say ? what a load of bull

    • Mike Sivier March 25, 2015 at 2:01 am - Reply

      Well I was born in 1969 and I have very little in common with the people you name. It’s probably partly being born into privilege; they had it, and enjoyed the benefits of it in the ultra-selfish 1980s, while I did not, and had to work for everything I have.

  10. joanna may March 25, 2015 at 3:44 am - Reply

    I was born 8 March 1971 and I stood no chance from the day I was born, Yet I despair of today’s politicians! It isn’t when you are born, it’s the advantages you are born with sometimes, but mostly it has to do with deep flaws in politicians like greed, power and being remembered, you have to admit it, it is going to be hard to forget Esther McVey, even if it is for all the wrong reasons. Look how well known Hitler is still!!! Apart from rare exceptions, people who do good all of their lives are not noticed at all, because this world seems to feed off notoriety and that is really sad!!!!

  11. NMac March 29, 2015 at 8:36 am - Reply

    I sincerely hope that this thoroughly unpleasant woman, and many of her equally unpleasant colleagues, are soon consigned to the political dustbin.

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