ESTHER McVey is the surprise choice as the new Work and Pensions Secretary, replacing David Gauke, who moves to Justice, and after Justine Greening turned down the role in a proposed move from Education.
Liverpool-born, the 50-year-old politician read law at the Queen Mary University in London before going on to study radio journalism at City University also in the UK capital.
Ms McVey became a presenter on BBC’s children programmes and later co-hosted GMTV. A supporter of the Thatcherite Conservative Way Forward, she succeeded in becoming MP for Wirral West in 2010 at the second attempt.
Under David Cameron she became Minister for the Disabled and then Employment Minister but narrowly lost her seat to Labour in the 2015 General Election. However, she returned to Westminster in 2017 as the Tory candidate for Tatton in Cheshire, George Osborne’s former seat.
In the aftermath of Sir Michael Fallon’s resignation as Defence Secretary following sexual harassment allegations, she became Deputy Chief Whip but has now been elevated to the Cabinet.
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