Things became heated in the commons today after Barry Sheerman told Esther McVey to stop being a ‘hard-hearted Hannah’ during a Department for Work and Pensions questions. The incident occurred after Sheerman voiced his concerns over the department’s handling of the government’s welfare reforms.
McVey has taken none too kindly to the term, which is a reference to an Ella Fitzgerald song. The Conservative MP says that it is ‘not the first time that the opposition benches have been like this to me’.
Sheerman meanwhile insists his innocence, claiming it was not a sexist comment. ‘She has a reputation for being a very hard champion of the welfare reforms this Government has introduced and I believe it was fair comment and unfair to call me a sexist,’ the Huddersfield MP says.
Very disappointed by @EstherMcVeyMP response to me asking her to stop being the “hard hearted Hannah” of the DWP – surely not sexist term!
— Barry Sheerman MP (@BarrySheerman) March
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