New Pension Minister announced following the latest cabinet reshuffle

Esther McVey, MP for Tatton in Cheshire becomes the fifth Work and Pensions Secretary to be appointed in less than three years. Esther replaces David Gauke, who after only a short term in office, now moves to the Justice Department.

Ms McVey became parliamentary under-secretary at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in 2012, and later became the Minister of State. She therefore takes on her new role with some experience and understanding gained from her time at the DWP.

Ms McVey’s appointment was announced earlier this week after Justine Greening turned down the role in the Prime Minister’s latest cabinet reshuffle.

Commentators have highlighted concerns around the apparent difficulty in finding an appropriate long-term candidate to fill this important position within the cabinet, which has a huge bearing on people’s financial wellbeing.