The new work and pensions secretary is an insult to disabled people

In previous roles, Esther McVey never cared about the impact of her policies and appeared to relish removing disability support

As backlashes go, the days following Esther McVey’s appointment as the new work and pensions secretary have seen intense criticism. Between 2012 and 2013, as minister for disabled people and later employment minister, McVey was famed for defending the indefensible, saying it was “right” that people were having to use food banks and claiming that benefit sanctions “teach” jobseekers to take looking for work seriously – going as far as comparing unemployed people to naughty schoolchildren being punished by a teacher – despite the destitution and death that sanctions have since caused. 

Related: Calls for Theresa May to reconsider Esther McVey's move to DWP

Continue reading... January 16, 2018 at 05:30PM