Blue-Collar Tory Esther McVey Vows to Ditch May Deal, Take UK out of EU in Clean Break

Conservative Party MP Esther McVey speaks at a political rally entitled 'Lets Go WTO' host
TOLGA AKMEN/AFP/Getty Images
Victoria Friedman

Tory Party leadership candidate Esther McVey has vowed to take the UK out of the EU in a clean break on October 31st, ditching outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May’s unpopular withdrawal treaty altogether.

While other candidates, including Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab, have said they will take the UK out of the EU with or without a deal on October 31st, Ms McVey is considered to have the “hardest line” on delivering the will of the people, of which she sees passing the Withdrawal Agreement Bill as a failure to do so.

In an interview with The Times, Ms McVey said that she would use “every tool” at her disposal as prime minister to ensure that the UK leaves the bloc without a deal, not ruling out any options including proroguing (suspending) parliament in an attempt to stop Remainer MPs from trying to thwart the delivery of Brexit, with Ms McVey having previously said she would have a Brexiteer-only Cabinet until the vote to leave was delivered.

The Times also reported on Sunday that cross-party MPs — including Conservatives — are plotting to take control of the House of Commons if a Brexiteer becomes prime minister, and are said to be looking into parliamentary processes to stop the UK leaving the EU on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms on October 31st.

Asked her thoughts on her party colleagues plotting against the next Tory prime minister and a real Brexit, Ms McVey told the newspaper of record: “Shame on any Conservative MP who’d be prepared to bring down a Conservative government and usher in what we know would be catastrophic for our economy. We all know that ushering in a Corbyn-McDonnell Marxist government would not be in the national interest.”

The former Work and Pensions secretary — who launched Blue Collar Conservatism, which aims to speak for the working-class of the party, in late May — also said that she would not give the proposed £39 billion divorce bill to Brussels, but use it to fund a public sector pay raise and would introduce a Public Sector Pay Guarantee to reward key workers who “did much of the heavy lifting to get us through clearing up the economic mess left by Labour”.

“We must always live within our means, but this must not be achieved solely on the backs of public sector workers, especially those on low and average incomes,” Ms McVey told The Sun.

The former businessman and television presenter also opened up about her personal life, describing how she had spent two years of her childhood living in a Barnardo’s children’s charity, returning to her parents when she was four-and-a-half years old.

“People were very kind to me, and they gave me love and support,” she said, adding: “There was a second chance for us as a family. Mum and Dad were poor but they were good people who just then had to make sure that they could afford me and move on.”

Leading candidate Boris Johnson pledged in a Sunday Times interview to “retain” the £39 billion — at least until he claims he can get a better deal from the EU — maintaining that the UK would leave the EU on October 31st with or without a deal.

He then compared Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage and Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn to classical Greek sea monsters, describing them in terms of twin threats to the UK, saying: “I truly believe only I can steer the country between the Scylla and Charybdis of Corbyn and Farage and onto calmer water. This can only be achieved by delivering Brexit as promised on October 31 and delivering a One Nation Tory agenda.”

Mr Johnson reportedly declined a one-to-one meeting with President Donald Trump during his State Visit last week despite the President’s often warm words about the former Vote Leave campaigner. Remainer MPs are said to be planning to back Johnson over their belief that the MP is “malleable” and may be persuaded to agree to a softer Brexit or even a second referendum.

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