“Should Conservative MP Gillian Keegan be slammed for having a watch? No, I don’t think she should. And I suspect that the attacks on her have come from the far left. They can be particularly vile, certainly on social media and I suspect that’s where she’s being attacked from” says former Labour MP Simon Danczuk.
Conservative MP Esther McVey has also backed the Education Secretary – after she was criticised for wearing a £10,000 Rolex watch.
Gillian Keegan was given the timepiece by her husband as a birthday present, but some critics said her decision to wear it showed she was out of touch.
Speaking on GB News today, Ms McVey, a fellow MP, said people should applaud Ms Keegan for how she was doing.
She said: “In the United States they tend to sit and admire success and admire aspiration, and they might slap somebody on the back for doing well. We don’t really like that here. and I think that is a problem because I’d say good for you. Here she is, she’s doing well and she’s the Secretary of State. Good on her.”
Ms McVey’s comments were backed by former Labour MP Simon Danczuk who also warned that those on the far left needed to be careful about the nature of the attacks they launch.
He said: “Should she be slammed for having a watch? No, I don’t think she should. And I suspect that the attacks on her have come from the far left. They can be particularly vile, certainly on social media and I suspect that’s where she’s being attacked from.
“And what people on the left have to be careful of is looking spiteful, because I think the broader public will really actually be quite happy with her wearing the watch and, you know, they will celebrate the fact that she can afford it or that it’s a gift from her husband. I think people should be careful in politics in terms of attacking in the way that she’s been attacked.”
Earlier this week Ms Keegan accused people who criticised her for wearing the Rolex of “inverted snobbery”.
She first came under fire last month after she appeared on TV wearing the pricey watch while claiming that nurses only need to use food banks due to broken boilers or relationships.
“I was quite surprised [by the criticism], really,” Keegan said on Wednesday.
“It’s almost like assuming you’re working class, you start working class, and you can’t become anything else.
“I’ve worked for 38 years, I haven’t stopped working.”
Keegan started her career working as an apprentice at a car factor in Kirkby before becoming a businesswoman and entering parliament as an MP in 2017.
She added: “I guess I’m supposed to never have made anything of myself, never have made any money.
“I don’t know… It’s like an inverted snobbery or something.”
During the same interview she also claimed that teachers are among top 10% of earners in some areas ahead of planned industrial action by teachers in January.
“The reality is it’s a good career. It’s probably in the top 10% of earners in some parts of the country,” she said.
