The head of the UK coastguard agency is facing calls to resign after she was found to have used unverified data to back up her controversial plan to strip rescue officers of their pay. Virginia McVea, the chief executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), claimed more than 90% of coastguard rescue officers supported the proposal, citing an official survey. Now, after an Office for Statistics Regulation investigation, the agency has admitted its poll did not sufficiently back up the claim.
Nicola Savage, a national officer for the GMB union representing coastguard rescue officers, stated that if McVea is unable to produce the referenced reports, the union would view it as a deliberate attempt to mislead. Savage added that if this is the case, McVea should resign, as hundreds of coastguards have already demanded.
Joe Robertson, an MP who has campaigned on behalf of the rescue officers, accused McVea of misleading parliamentarians and coastguards during three separate meetings where she cited the figure. He urged her to apologize for misleading stakeholders and requested a written account explaining why she repeatedly used the false statistic and why she has failed to publish surveys promised during a June meeting.
The MCA's initiative to remove pay for coastguards stemmed from a major court defeat. A judge affirmed that although coastguard rescue officers volunteer for service, they qualify as workers entitled to minimum wage and holiday pay because they receive compensation for their time. Instead of accepting this status, the agency attempted to halt remuneration to reclassify the personnel strictly as volunteers.
This approach triggered sharp backlash from lawmakers, rescue personnel, and coastal communities, with the GMB union reporting that nearly 600 officers supported a vote of no confidence in McVea. Defending the policy, McVea pointed to the 90% approval figure, though MPs expressed feeling misled by her statements.
In a letter to McVea, Office for Statistics Regulation Director General Ed Humpherson noted that neither of the cited surveys directly asked officers about their backing for the proposed volunteer model, meaning the data failed to support the reported claims. Furthermore, the agency could not provide additional evidence to underpin the figures.
Leaked survey results previously indicated that officers were merely asked how the different operating models might impact their availability. The findings suggested the agency grouped respondents who indicated reduced availability under a volunteer framework—along with those answering neutrally—into the category of supporters. Although the agency previously stated that findings were weighed alongside various operational and legal factors, it declined to explain the methodology.
Maritime Minister Keir Mather ultimately scrapped the controversial plan in response to widespread criticism. While rescue personnel await a final decision on the future framework, the option of removing officer pay is understood to be off the table. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency has been approached for comment.