ANALYSIS: McVey To Lead Anti-Woke Cabinet Role In Appeasement To Tory Right Wing

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak departs 10. Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament in London on Oct. 25, 2023. James Manning/PA

In a perceived effort to assuage the concerns of the right wing of the Tory party and the socially conservative membership, Rishi Sunak has appointed socially conservative MP Esther McVey to a ministerial position without portfolio.

Taking up her new role amidst the reshuffle yesterday, the veteran Tory MP and GB News presenter has been unofficially dubbed as the “minister for common sense.” This anointing underscores the perception that Ms. McVey’s move to cabinet is not merely symbolic but aligns with her much-touted “anti-woke” principles.

In recent months, Mr. Sunak’s government has been keen to promote the message that it shares the same sentiment.

However, many of those involved in Conservative activism and grassroots campaigning view the move as merely a strategic effort to appease the more traditional Tory faction of the party.

David Campbell Bannerman, Chairman of the Conservative Democratic Association (CDO), a group committed to making the Tory party more democratic for members, offered his perspective to The Epoch Times, stating, “I think bringing Esther back is a sop to right-wingers but is seen as such.”

Despite this misgiving about the appointment of Ms. McVey, the former MEP and potential candidate for the Tory party added, “I rate her.”

The appointment of Ms. McVey is not without controversy, as now-Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s promise to appoint her as his deputy prime minister during last year’s leadership race resurfaced, causing further tension for her relationship with the right of the party.

According to Tory insiders, the association with Mr. Hunt, seen as a more liberal Conservative or a ‘globalist’ by many within the party’s traditional wing, has cast a shadow for some on Mrs McVey’s commitment to small-c conservative credentials over career.

The recent cabinet reshuffle as a whole has sparked disappointment among this faction of the Conservative Party.

With both Suella Braverman and Therese Coffey exiting cabinet, and a shock return to frontline politics for former Prime Minister David Cameron, the momentum building behind the right of the party is perceived to have suffered a setback ahead of the next general election.

New Conservatives Express Concerns Over Cabinet Reshuffle, Policy Direction

In an open letter penned by co-chairs Miriam Cates MP and Danny Kruger MP, the New Conservatives group have also voiced apprehensions about the recent cabinet reshuffle, hinting at a significant shift in the government’s policy direction.

The letter from the group of 25 socially conservative MPs states, “The Conservative Party now looks like it is deliberately walking away from the coalition of voters who brought us into power with a large majority in 2019.”

The New Conservatives stress the pivotal role of the 2019 election (the campaign which saw most of their number elected to parliament) as a realignment of politics, rejecting the prevailing consensus and promising a transformative agenda.

The letter also raises doubts about the government’s commitment to the promises made during that election, expressing concerns about a potential abandonment of pledges to rebalance the economy, reorient foreign policy, reduce migration, and restore common sense in education.

Mr. Kruger and Mrs. Cates note, “In political terms, it appears the leadership has decided to abandon the voters who switched to us last time, sacrificing the seats we won from Labour in 2019 in the hope of shoring up support elsewhere.”

Despite these concerns, the group affirmed its dedication to working toward a Conservative victory in the upcoming election, pledging to contribute policy proposals to the manifesto process, actively raise funds and recruit supporters for election campaigns aligned with its mission.

Jonathan Gullis MP, a prominent member of the New Conservatives, took to social media to express his support: “When Danny, Miriam and I set up the New Conservatives, it was to ensure we deliver on the policies that united voters in 2019.

“From our rural heartlands, to the great industrial towns and cities of the North and Midlands, it enabled us for the first time ever to win seats like Stoke-on-Trent North.”

Mr. Gullis, the incumbent MP for Stoke-on-Trent North, added, “We must not turn our back on the many people who lent us their vote in 2019.”

While the letter from the New Conservatives does not name Suella Braverman, the recently sacked home secretary was seen as flying the flag in cabinet for the right of the party on policy areas like immigration.

The appointment of Ms. McVey is seen as aiming to appease those like the New Conservatives and their veteran advisor, Sir John Hayes, who also chairs a nearly 60-strong group of traditionally conservative MPs in the Common Sense Group.

Party Chairman Offers ‘Broad Church’ Credentials

Amidst the internal tensions within the Conservative Party following the reshuffle, today the newly appointed party chairman, Richard Holden, moved to downplay discord.

Emphasising the necessity to shift focus towards the Labour opposition, Mr. Holden positioned the party as a “broad church” with a united front.

His remarks come as he steps into the role, succeeding Greg Hands, who faced challenges marked by by-election losses and setbacks in council contests during his nine-month tenure.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4, Mr. Holden stated: “What we don’t do is have small splinter parties ahead of a general election and then a deal cooked up behind the scenes.

“What you see is a broad church, Conservative Party with a common goal, united together in what it is deciding to put forward to the country.”

It remains to be seen whether the move to bring Ms. McVey into the upper echelons of government can persuade those who see the government’s new reshuffle as leaving socially conservative ‘Red Wall’ voters, particularly from the 2019 election, politically isolated.

A Reshuffle Towards ‘Weak Centrists’

Meanwhile critics have expressed concerns about the reshuffle as a replacement of “strong conservatives” with candidates perceived as “weak centrists.”

Jack Ross, CEO of Turning Point UK, a Conservative pressure group with socially conservative values, told The Epoch Times, “If the government hasn’t realised by now that the British people want a genuinely conservative government, then they are doomed to the opposition benches next year.”

He added, “We’ve seen strong conservatives replaced with weak centrists.”

Speaking to The Epoch Times via text, Mr. Ross acknowledged that the Conservative party may have a way back to gain trust from its grassroots support if they can appeal to the public through a more “genuine” approach.

“If they have finally realised this, they can still deliver and keep the radical left out of power, as ultimately it doesn’t matter who holds the government roles providing they actually take action and do what their voters have continuously told them to do—primarily finishing Brexit, sorting out immigration and fixing our economy.”

As the dust of the reshuffle settles, the government is now set in what Mr. Sunak will hope is a final lineup, ahead of what promises to be an even earlier general election.

Ms. McVey’s appointment seems to be calculated as a significant olive branch to more traditional Tories.

Recent polling conducted by Ipsos in the UK, spanning Monday and Tuesday, has indicated public sentiment is nuanced regarding the cabinet reshuffle, particularly with regard to Lord Cameron’s appointment as foreign secretary and Ms. Braverman’s removal as Home Secretary.

Public Dissatisfaction High Over Cameron Government

The data indicates that 70 percent of respondents support Ms. Braverman’s dismissal, reflecting a significant consensus on the decision.

However, perceptions of Lord Cameron’s past government performance show 62 percent expressing dissatisfaction with its handling of the UK’s relationship with the EU.

Notably, just one in four respondents viewed Lord Cameron’s government positively in areas such as managing the economy, running the country competently, and handling foreign affairs.