I READ the Globe Christmas message of Esther McVey, until recently disability minister and now employment minister, with complete disbelief.

Esther tells us ".. it's a time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas ... as well as remembering those who are less fortunate in need of care and support."

Yet as disability minister Esther stood shoulder to shoulder with Iain Duncan Smith as he introduced a vicious and unprecedented series of cunning plans to deny and cut benefits to the chronically sick and disabled.

Going further, the repeated misuse of statistics by the DWP to denigrate the disabled and unemployed, to justify the cuts, was strongly condemned in 2013 by the House of Commons Work & Pensions Select Committee.

Ms McVey has obviously not read the true Christmas message of the Archbishop of Canterbury this year.

"Where people are measured in their worth only by what they can produce, what economic value they have, then Christ is denied and our humanity is corrupted."

Professor D P Gregg (retired), Spital.