FORMER Wirral West MP Esther McVey is to make a shock return to frontline politics after she was was brought back into Government as a minister without portfolio.

The Conservative account on social media site X said she was a “cabinet minister” without specifying her job.

Downing Street said McVey would attend cabinet as a minister without portfolio.

The Liverpool-born 56-year-old  first entered the House of Commons as MP for Wirral West at the 2010 general election. She served in the Cameron–Clegg coalition as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Disabled People from 2012 to 2013, prior to serving as Minister of State for Employment from 2013 to 2015. 

Her time representing Wirral West was often controversial: 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.

Shortly after being made Minister for Employment, McVey had the responsibility for the Health and Safety Executive taken away after it was reported that a demolition company had been found to be in violation of health and safety laws while she was director.

In April 2014 McVey apologised for a tweet criticising the Wirral Labour Party that was issued during the Hillsborough memorial service. Social media posts at the time claimed the timing of the tweet showed a lack of respect.

In the 2015 general election, McVey was defeated by the Labour candidate Margaret Greenwood who gained the Wirral West seat by 417 votes.

In April 2017, McVey was selected to succeed George Osborne as the Conservative candidate for the June 2017 general election in his safe seat of Tatton.

McVey is currently a backbench MP and part-time TV presenter for GB News.

McVey's appointment comes after David Cameron made a dramatic return to frontline politics as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tried to reset his Government before the general election expected next year.

The former prime minister was given a seat in the Lords to become Foreign Secretary as Mr Sunak risked a row with the Tory right by sacking controversial home secretary Suella Braverman.