Esther McVey has launched a scathing attack on Andy Burnham, accusing him of insulting Brexit voters by suggesting Russia interfered in the 2016 referendum. Writing in her Express column, the former minister said the Greater Manchester Mayor was "really scraping the barrel" over his claims about Kremlin influence.
Burnham accused of dismissing voters
McVey wrote that those who voted for Brexit did not do so because they were duped by Moscow, but because they believed in the cause. She said Burnham's suggestion that the vote cannot be trusted and should be reversed through a second EU referendum was an insult to his own constituents.
She noted that voters in Burnham's Makerfield constituency voted overwhelmingly for Brexit, adding they would be "delighted to know what a gullible bunch their MP thinks they are."
HS2 boss pay criticised
The column also took aim at Mark Thurston, former Chief Executive of HS2, who is now running Anglia Water. McVey pointed out that his £1.5million bonus for 2025-26 has been withheld after tonnes of untreated sewage entered River Mardyke in August 2025, killing 4,723 fish.
She noted Thurston earned £4.45million between March 2017 and September 2023 at HS2, adding "nice work if you can get it."
Inheritance tax plan backed
McVey also voiced support for Kemi Badenoch's proposal to abolish inheritance tax on family homes and increase the tax-free allowance for other assets. She said opinion polls have long shown the tax to be the most unpopular and unfair among voters of all parties.
She argued the money has already been taxed and said Badenoch is right to reposition the Conservatives as the party of low tax and aspiration.
Betting shop closures concern
Finally, McVey praised the Racing Post for visiting two betting shops in Burnham's constituency. She said staff fear losing their jobs and elderly customers worry about losing the close-knit community, where they chat with friends and get free coffee.
She accused Burnham of wanting to tax betting shops out of existence, adding: "Here's a racing certainty, on winning this seat he took his constituents for a ride."
