The Government’s new Cabinet Office minister Esther McVey has wasted little time in detailing what her new role entails.
Speaking to MPs in Parliament, the former GB News presenter hit out at Labour as she pledged to delay the ban on oil and gas boilers.
Esther McVey told MPs what her new role entails
GB NEWS
In a swipe at Labour, she acknowledged the concept of her new role is a “difficult one to grasp for members on the other side of the benches”.
She continued: “I am committed to delivering common sense decisions such as delaying the ban on petrol and diesel cars, delaying the ban on oil and gas boilers, scrapping HS2 Birmingham to Manchester, reducing the overseas budget.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
“All common sense policies that those on the opposite benches have voted against.
“This side of the House is full of common sense and I’m building on all those policies.”
It was reported that McVey had been brought in to tackle “woke” issues in Whitehall.
Her appointment was one of the more high profile decisions made by Rishi Sunak in a reshuffle that saw the sacking of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary.
Her departure has intensified strains within the Tory party with the right said to be increasingly sceptical on Sunak’s pledge to stop the boats.
Their fears were only exacerbated today when it was revealed net migration to the UK hit a record 745,000, according to revised figures.
Braverman herself waded in to lament the “unsustainable” levels of migration, taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call on the Government to “use the tools” afforded via Brexit.
While net migration to the UK in the year to December 2022 is higher than previously thought, the figure for the year to June 2023 is estimated to be lower, at 672,000, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The right-wing New Conservative group of MPs called on Sunak and his Home Secretary James Cleverly to take action.
The group, led by Miriam Cates, Danny Kruger and Sir John Hayes, warned: “The word ‘existential’ has been used a lot in recent days but this really is ‘do or die’ for our party.
“Each of us made a promise to the electorate. We don’t believe that such promises can be ignored.
“The Government must propose, today, a comprehensive package of measures to meet the manifesto promise by the time of the next election. We will assess any such package and report publicly on whether it will meet the promise made to the electorate.
“The Prime Minister, Chancellor, and new Home Secretary must show that they stand by the promises on which we were elected to Parliament. We must act now.”
