Tatton Tory MP Esther McVey has said that Cheshire East Council has “failed residents” with its “incompetence, and lack of management and scrutiny”.
Writing the “Knutsford Guardian”, the MP for Tatton said she always worked “constructively” with councils “regardless of political make-up” as well as other MPs.
She wrote: “I will not criticise for the sake of party politics but will do so when I believe my constituents deserve better.
“That is the case at Cheshire East Council – one of three councils covering different parts of my constituency.
“The Labour-led council, propped up by Independents, is now run by Labour councillor Nick Mannion after he took over last month from Sam Corcoran who resigned – after five years leading – ahead of a no-confidence vote.
“Things must change. The council has failed residents, with its incompetence, lack of management and scrutiny.” She cited a “catalogue of failings”, most recently a peer review report from the Local Government Association that warned the council was at risk of effective bankruptcy if it did not take quick action.
She said: “The report said some staff and councillors were ‘seemingly comfortable’ with the financial position.
“It was criticised for working in silos and for the lengthy and complicated committee reports, making it hard for people to scrutinise and hold decision making to account.” She wrote: “I have warned repeatedly about the failings at the council, including financial mismanagement and so while I was horrified reading this report, I was not shocked, as it backed up the concerns I’d raised.” She said it was “shocking” how the organisation was run.
Oversight
“Recently we also found out that Cheshire East lets staff use charge cards without any audit of spending. I am not suggesting any staff misused the card in any way but it is obvious there should be an audit trail on spending, without it there can be no proper financial oversight.
“Money is also wasted due to sloppy contracts. The last Conservative Government promised and delivered millions of extra investment for potholes, which was money diverted from scrapping HS2, and I want every penny spent on repairs – not a penny wasted on putting right inadequate repairs.
“Cheshire East has no requirement in its contracts with the external companies it uses for pot hole repairs for these companies to make good a repair if it is deemed inadequate, meaning money is spent twice.” The MP also cited the “green bin tax” on residents, closed waste recycling centres and reduced library hours.
She said entire departments at the council were failing.
“Children’s services was rated as ‘inadequate’ and ‘requiring improvement’ in many of the assessed areas just a few months ago. The failings are endless.
“Residents deserve better. Whatever the leadership at the council I will continue to hold it to account and seek the answers my constituents want and deserve.”
She added: “Changes need to start now with better financial oversight and better management of contracts so we deliver the best possible service to residents.”
In response to the column, a Cheshire East Council spokesman said: “The council has embarked on an ambitious improvement programme as discussed at the full council meeting in July.”
Ms McVey is herself no stranger to criticism. She has been in Parliament since 2010, although she lost her seat between 2015 and 2017. In November 2010, she was appointed Parliamentary private secretary to then-employment minister Chris Grayling.
In December 2013, she was formally reprimanded for using House of Commons notepaper and postage to electioneer for the Conservative Party; she apologised and repaid the £300 costs.
David Cameron appointed Ms McVey minister of state for employment in the department for work and pensions in an October 2013 reshuffle. In April 2014, she apologised for a tweet criticising the Wirral Labour Party that was sent during the Hillsborough memorial service.
In 2018, she was appointed as secretary of state for work and pensions, a post she held until November 2018, when she resigned over the Brexit deal.
In July 2018, it was reported by the head of the National Audit Office that Ms McVey had misled parliament over the new universal credit scheme by claiming that an audit office report showed that it should be rolled out faster when in fact the report concluded that the roll-out should be paused. She apologised to the House of Commons.
She later became a correspondent and later a presenter for the right-leaning television channel GB News. She was criticised by the chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, Eric Pickles, for breaking anti-lobbying rules within the ministerial code in accepting the job at GB News while still housing minister.
In February 2020, she was dismissed in Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit reshuffle.
In the November 2023 Cabinet reshuffle, Ms McVey was appointed minister of state without portfolio in the Cabinet Office by Rishi Sunak, reportedly in charge with “leading the Government’s anti-woke agenda” as a “minister for common sense”.
In May, she said she wanted to tackle “left-wing politically correct woke warriors” in the public sector and suggested that civil servants could be banned from wearing rainbow lanyards.
