Jeremy Corbyn accused of ‘encouraging’ campaign of hate towards new Cabinet minister Esther McVey
JEREMY Corbyn has been accused of “encouraging” a campaign of hate towards the new Cabinet minister Esther McVey.
Friends of the Work and Pensions Secretary say the Labour boss is tolerating the abuse by not sacking John McDonnell for calling her a “stain on humanity” – instead promoting him.
Ms McVey has been subject of a tirade of online attacks since she was promoted to Work and Pensions Secretary on Monday, with one person calling her “evil personified”.
The MP for Tatton was a controversial figure during the coalition Government when she served as disabilities minister under Iain Duncan Smith.
But she has subjected to vile attacks and even death threats since her promotion from deputy chief whip, with a petition to have her removed garnering thousands of signatures.
One Labour-supporting user said on Twitter: "The appointment of Esther McVey as DWP minister is a death sentence for thousands more disabled people.
“We'll do whatever it takes to put her out of her misery".
Ms McVey’s supporters are angry at the party’s leader for not putting a halt to this, saying: “This kind of personal abuse is not just tolerated by Jeremy Corbyn it is actively encouraged by him.
“He promoted to shadow Chancellor the man who said of Esther they should ‘lynch the b***h’.
“Given the outrage in recent days the Labour party has had about Toby Young, one would hope that these Labour MPs would show the same kind of outrage about John McDonnell and say that if Toby Young’s position was untenable then so was John McDonnell’s.”
They told the : “Unless Corbyn sacks John McDonnell I am afraid all he is doing is encouraging abuse and violence against a new female secretary of state.”
Mr McDonnell failed to apologise for calling her a “stain on humanity” in 2014, and also quoted a constituent who had shouted out that they wanted to “lynch” Ms McVey.
And in 2016 when pressed to withdraw his slur the Shadow Chancellor he refused to back down, accusing the Tory MP of playing the victim.
He told ITV’s Peston on Sunday it was right for politicians to use powerful language to make a point and express “honest anger”.
Ms McVey appeared on the same programme, and after launched a stinging attack, saying: "This is a man who talks about the struggle through threats, intimidation and bullying and he doesn't just talk about it – he whips up that culture.”
MOST READ IN POLITICS:
And senior Labour MPs Yvette Cooper and Jess Phillips both rejected his comments, Ms Cooper saying: "It's not ok. It's really not ok. He should absolutely have apologised.”
And Ms Phillips added: “I think it’s utterly despicable. I cannot imagine why he refuses to apologise.”
Asked about the abuse Ms McVey has received this week Theresa May’s spokesman said: "The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear that nobody seeking to do their job should be subject to harassment and abuse.
“That applies across public life."