Although she outwardly refused to be cowed, friends of the Work and Pensions Secretary have said she felt deeply hurt by such comments. Some have noted that it was worse for Merseysideborn Miss McVey as she had no marital partner to whom she could turn for support in the face of such antipathy. But that is about to change... Esther, 50, has been discussing marriage with Philip Davies, 46, the Tory MP for Shipley, West Yorkshire, with whom she has had an on-off relationship for five years.