Universal discredit
Humiliated McVey forced to apologise for misleading MPs over welfare report
CABINET minister Esther McVey has made a humiliating apology for misleading the Commons over the controversial Universal Credit.
There were calls for the Work and Pensions Secretary to quit after her climbdown on the benefits shake-up.
Labour has demanded a probe into whether the Tory “knowingly” misled MPs, thereby breaking the Ministerial Code.
The row erupted over Ms McVey rejecting National Audit Office findings that said the six-inone benefit is poor value for money and forcing people to foodbanks.
She claimed the damning report was out of date. But in an unprecedented open letter, NAO chief Sir Amyas Morse said there was “no evidence” of this.
He also accused Ms McVey of misrepresenting the findings and contradicting her own officials, who had “fully agreed” to the report.
Sir Amyas branded her behaviour “odd”, adding her claim that Universal Credit is working “has not been proven”.
Amid shouts of “resign”, Ms McVey said sorry in Parliament yesterday.
But her apology only extended to one of three “unproven” statements highlighted by Sir Amyas. She told MPs: “I mistakenly said the NAO asked for the rollout of Universal Credit to continue at a faster rate and be speeded up.
“In fact the NAO did not say that and I want to apologise... for inadvertently misleading you.”
Theresa May ducked questions over whether Ms McVey would resign. Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Margaret Greenwood said: “If she didn’t read [the report] properly, that’s incompetence. If she did read it properly and knowingly misled Parliament, she should resign.”
Lib Dem Stephen Lloyd said: “Esther McVey’s contempt for inconvenient facts and independent, reputable bodies such as the NAO shows she is unfit for office.”
Labour’s Frank Field said: “I’ve never seen a letter from the National Audit Office like this before in the 40 years I’ve been in Parliament.”
The report last month found that from January to October 2017, 40% of claimants affected by late payments had to wait for 11 weeks or more.
Ms McVey’s contempt for facts shows she is unfit for office
STEPHEN LLOYD LETS FLY AT GOVERNMENT MINISTER
A NO-deal Brexit would be “completely disastrous” for companies in Britain, the minister for industry admits.
It comes as a fresh blow to Theresa May’s authority, as the PM has always insisted that “no deal is better than a bad deal”.
Referring to fears raised by car giant BMW, Business Minister Richard Harrington said: “It’s very hard to see the advantage to businesses like that of us crashing out of the European Union. It would be completely disastrous for business in this country.”
But No10 insisted: “We are working hard to secure a good deal.” Mrs May is said to be planning the “softest possible Brexit”, ahead of a crunch Cabinet meeting at Chequers tomorrow, where she hopes to quell a revolt among Leavers.
She told Commons yesterday: “The Brexit that this Government will be delivering ensures that we are out of the customs union [and] we have an independent trade policy.” More than 40 Tories have met with Chief Whip Julian Smith to warn against a soft Brexit.
Hard-line Leaver Jacob ReesMogg MP said: “I won’t be reassured until I know the