BOWING OUT
Who is Esther McVey? Former GMTV journalist and Conservative MP who was eliminated in leadership race to replace Theresa May
ESTHER McVey has put her hat into the ring to become the Tory's next leader and the country's Prime Minister.
Here's what we know about the former Work and Pensions Secretary who quit over May's "soft" Brexit deal.
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Who is Esther McVey?
Esther McVey was born in Liverpool and graduated in law before becoming a graduate trainee with the BBC in 1991.
She went on to work in media for the next 10 years as a broadcaster and a journalist for GMTV, numerous BBC shows and Channel 4.
In 2010, Esther became the first and only Conservative MP on Merseyside since 1997.
In 2012 she was appointed Minister for Disabled people and in 2013 she was made the Minister of State for Employment.
In the 2015 general election McVey was defeated by Labour candidate Margaret Greenwood.
Ms McVey successfully defended the Tory seat of Tatton in Cheshire, the former constituency of George Osborne, at the 2017 General Election.
Her "roles in business" included Chair of British Transport Police Authority, Honorary Fellow of Liverpool University and Senior Adviser to an international communications company", according to her website.
In January 2018, she was appointed Work and Pensions Secretary by Theresa May before her resignation nine months later.
Could she become our next PM?
Esther McVey entered the leadership race on May 29 and was officially accepted on June 10, making the last ten.
Ms McVey was one of only two women to make the final cut, alongside Leader of the House Andrea Leadsom.
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How did she do in the contest votes?
Ms McVey was knocked out with just nine votes in the first round of the contest.
She has pledged to reopen talks on Brexit to remove the Irish backstop from the existing deal.
A staunch Brexiteer, she bacls a No Deal Brexit.
Early on in her campaign she vowed to boost police coffers by £3bn, and give schools £4bn by cutting foreign aid by £7bn.
Ms McVey also said she would bring back free TV licences for the over 75s, after the BBC announced they would no longer fund the service for three million Brits.
She also vowed to invest properly in Britain's public services and guarantee a pay rise for all public sector workers by at least as much as inflation.
As Michael Gove's drug-taking hit the headlines she admitted taking marijuana when she was younger.
Why did she resign?
McVey quit her role as Work and Pensions Secretary on November 15, 2018, over the PM’s soft Brexit deal with the EU.
The Liverpool-born MP was described as the most “aggressive” opponent to May’s divorce agreement during a cabinet meeting the day before she resigned.
In her resignation letter, McVey told the Prime Minister that she could “no longer support” the deal, reports the .
She wrote: “Repeatedly you have said that we must regain control of our money, our borders and our laws and develop our own independent trade policy.
"I have always supported you to deliver on those objectives.
“Even after Chequers when you knew I shared the concerns of a very significant number of colleagues, I believed that we could still work collectively to honour the will of the British people and secure the right outcome for the future of our country.
“This deal fails to do this.”
What's the latest?
Boris Johnson has received the backing of ex-Cabinet Minister Esther McVey - after he gave his backing to boosting resources for schools, cops and public services.
The Tory frontrunner last night vowed to take the “timeless values” into Downing Street if he wins the leadership contest next month.
McVey will bring all but one of the nine MPs who supported her in the contest before she was forced to drop out after the first round of voting.
Mr Johnson last night said he backed her ‘blue collar conservatism’ agenda which would appeal to communities abandoned by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
McVey last night said: “I will wholeheartedly support him in his bid to become the leader of our great Party and country, and I look forward to working with him to deliver for Blue Collar Conservatives all over the country.
“He has promised to deliver Brexit on 31st October, deal or no deal, and has shown time and time again that he is a dynamic leader, capable of building a strong team around him that will deliver on his promises.”
LATEST ON THE TORY LEADERSHIP CONTEST
What has Labour's John McDonnell called her in the past?
In 2016, Labour Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell refused to apologise for saying McVey should be lynched.
Two years earlier he called then jobs minister, Esther McVey, a "stain on humanity" because of disability benefit cuts.
The staunch Jeremy Corbyn ally stood by his insult and said it was OK to "express honest anger".
Ms McVey accused him of "whipping up a culture of bullying" and ";linking politics with violence".
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