Women in politics. It’s a sight that surprises no one anymore, as the so-called fairer sex has long since mastered many ‘male’ professions. In fact, some women have proven to be more effective and productive in politics than some of their male counterparts. Today, we’ll be discussing Esther McVey, who has served in the Cabinet as Minister of State for Housing and Planning, held the post of Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, and was a junior minister for employment. You can read more about the life and political career of this prominent female politician on the pages of liverpoolyes.com.
More Than Just a Politician: The Broadcaster
Esther was born in Liverpool in 1967. Our Liverpudlian native received her secondary education at the fee-paying Belvedere School. She went on to study Law at Queen Mary University of London, and also Radio Journalism at the University of London. In 2009, she completed a Master of Science degree in Corporate Governance at Liverpool John Moores University.
As for her career, Esther Louise McVey didn’t become a politician right away. In 1991, she was a presenter for the summer holiday programme on the BBC Children’s strand, ‘But First This’. Esther then produced numerous shows and TV programmes, including ‘How Do They Do That?’, ‘5’s Company’, ‘The Heaven and Earth Show’, ‘Shopping City’, and the BBC2 youth current affairs programme ‘Reportage’. She also appeared in Eve Ensler’s play, ‘The Vagina Monologues’, at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool.
While in Liverpool, McVey also founded her own business, ‘Making It’. The company provided office space for start-ups and offered training for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
From 2000 to 2006, our local woman worked as a director for her family’s construction business.
The Start of a Political Career
Esther McVey was selected as the Conservative Party candidate for the Wirral West constituency in the 2005 General Election. Unfortunately, she lost the election but didn’t let that stop her, continuing to develop her political career. In the 2010 General Election, Esther won the seat. In the same year, she became the Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to the then Minister for Employment, Chris Grayling. She later served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, working under Iain Duncan Smith. Then, in 2013, Esther McVey was appointed Minister of State for Employment at the Department for Work and Pensions.
Our native suffered a defeat in the 2015 General Election. However, despite this setback, she was appointed as the Chair of the British Transport Police Authority.
In 2017, the politician was selected to succeed George Osborne as the Conservative candidate in the General Election. Esther began working as Deputy Chief Whip.
Following this, our Liverpudlian was appointed Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, a position she held for less than a year.
The Modern Era
In 2019, Esther announced her intention to run for the leadership of the Conservative Party after Theresa May resigned. She even launched the ‘Blue Collar Conservatives’ group, but it didn’t help her campaign. Ultimately, McVey finished last in the contest.
However, she did not abandon politics. When Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019, Esther McVey was appointed Minister of State for Housing and Planning. She later decided to return to television, becoming a correspondent and then a presenter for the right-leaning television channel GB News. This decision drew criticism, as working on television while simultaneously being a Housing Minister was widely considered a poor idea.
Esther stepped down from her ministerial role in 2020. During this period, the global COVID-19 pandemic began. McVey was a vocal critic of her own party’s lockdown measures. She also opposed the construction of HS2, arguing that the project was too expensive and would burden taxpayers.
In 2023, our local figure secured another post, becoming a Minister of State without Portfolio in the Cabinet Office.
Regarding her personal life, Esther McVey was in a relationship with BBC producer Mel Young. There were also rumours of a romance with fellow Conservative Ed Vaizey. Additionally, Esther lived in London with Conservative colleague Philip Davies. In 2019, it was announced that the couple were engaged, and they married in 2020. The ceremony was a quiet affair due to COVID restrictions.
It’s worth noting that Esther and her husband co-host television shows — ‘Friday’ and ‘Saturday Morning with Esther and Philip’ on GB News.
Esther McVey is a Liverpool native who built her political career outside her hometown. She has held high-ranking positions in the country and has repeatedly demonstrated her competence.
We hope you found our article informative and learned more about this well-known local personality.
What are your impressions of Esther McVey? Do you think her work is beneficial for the country? We look forward to your comments on social media.