In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Minister of State for Employment Esther McVey has reiterated her commitment to increasing the number of young people in employment, and praised Jobcentre Plus staff for helping to engender a “cultural shift” in young people’s expectations. She noted that, in her opinion, young people are recognising much more that they need to do work experience and work their way up the jobs ladder, standing by her claims last month in a Daily Mail interview that more young people should be willing to “work at places like Costa Coffee”.
McVey also used the interview to dampen down the growing rumours that she is being lined up to replace Grant Shapps as Conservative Party Chairman. She stated that, if offered the post now, “I would have to say no. I do not know anywhere near enough…it’s important to know what you can do and what you can’t.”