Esther McVey poked fun at Labour as she defended her new role as “minister for common sense”.
The Conservative MP was made a Cabinet Office minister in Rishi Sunak’s reshuffle earlier this month.
But the no-nonsense Tatton MP has been unofficially dubbed the “minister for common sense”.
During oral questions to the Cabinet Office in the Commons today, Labour MP Alison McGovern pressed Ms McVey on her new role.
Ms McGovern asked: “As a prime minister if you need to install a minister for common sense is it an admission that you yourself don’t really have any?”
The Tory MP replied: “I too have seen the reports in the paper describing me as the minister for common sense and I appreciate the concept is a difficult one to grasp for the members on the other side of the benches there.
“But I am committed to delivering common sense decisions such as delaying the ban on petrol and diesel cars, delaying the ban on oil and gas boilers, scrapping HS2 Birmingham to Manchester, reducing the overseas budget.
“All common sense policies that those on the opposite benches have voted against.
“This side of the House is full of common sense and I’m building on all those policies.”
Ms McVey was the most prominent appointment from the right wing of the Conservative Party in a reshuffle that saw Suella Braverman sacked as Home Secretary.
It was reported that she had been brought in with a brief to tackle “woke” issues in Whitehall.
