Former TV presenter Esther McVey has confirmed she will be running for the leadership of the Conservative Party.
"I've always said quite clearly if I got enough support from colleagues then yes I would, and now people have come forward and I have got that support. So I will be going forward," she told Talk Radio.
There isn't a Conservative leadership contest but no-one seems to have told @EstherMcVey…
— Paul Francis (@PaulOnPolitics) 9 May 2019
McVey lost her seat at the 2015 general election but returned two years later when she was parachuted into the safe seat of Tatton in Cheshire, formerly held by the Chancellor George Osborne.
She is a 50-1 outsider to become leader and Prime Minister.
At first l thought this was a parody account but noticed the blue tick, l then literally roared with laughter. Esther McVey claiming Tories are the natural Party of the working classes is beyond parody 😂😂😂 https://t.co/KUMP7szNDm
— Angela Rayner (@AngelaRayner) 5 May 2019
McVey resigned as Welfare Secretary in November 2018, as she was opposed to Theresa May's Brexit deal.
She said the Brexit deal did "not honour the result of the referendum", adding that the UK was ready for a no-deal Brexit scenario and slammed naysayers as "arch Remainers" determined to "turn around the vote of the people".
Missing: Esther McVey MP. Last seen in #Wilmslow chasing postal workers. If found please contact #Tatton Tories. Missing since start of local election campaign. Considered dangerous. Ignores constituents. Tried to drag constituents towards cliff edge. pic.twitter.com/7wDr5CX6yp
— Oliver Romain (@oliverromain70) 1 May 2019
The thing about Esther McVey running for Tory leader is that if she loses she’ll just deny she’s lost. Eventually it’ll be so awkward they’ll let her be PM. Like in that Jam sketch.
— Ed Morrish (@edmorrish) 9 May 2019
Esther McVey is probably the only candidate who, if she were to become Prime Minister, could manage to make us look back fondly on Theresa May.
— Groovy J (@groovy_chi) 9 May 2019
In January Ms. McVey described herself as a "compassionate Conservative", to widespread derision. Her stewardship of the Universal Credit programme has been lambasted by MPs and benefits claimants, and she was forced to admit some UK citizens would be worse off under the new system.
