Esther McVey doubles down on repugnant Holocaust smoking ban comparison [Video]

Rightwing Tory MP Esther McVey has doubled down on a controversial Tweet which appeared to compare Labour’s proposed smoking ban to the Holocaust.

A leading Jewish community group has led the criticisms of the former common sense minister’s social media post describing it as “repugnant”.

In it, the former TV presenter wrote out the words to German theologian Martin Niemoller’s famed 1946 poem, First They Came, which warns how those who stood passively by in the face of intensifying Nazi persecution became complicit in the Holocaust.

Ms Mcvey then added: “Pertinent words re Starmer’s smoking ban.”

But after a torrent of criticism and calls for her to delete the post on X (formerly Twitter), Ms McVey has refused and used an interview on …