Bridget Phillipson has launched a blistering attack on Nigel Farage, accusing the Reform UK leader of wanting to scrap equality laws that protect women, ethnic minorities and disabled people.
In an article for the Mirror, the new Minister for Women and Equalities in Andy Burnham's government said she was 'delighted' to take on the standalone role, describing it as the first time the job has existed on its own.
'Perilous moment' for hard-won rights
'We're at a perilous moment, with right-wing politicians wanting to roll back women's hard-won rights, and an online discourse that's increasingly down the gutter, pushing for a future that's not what Britain is about,' she wrote.
Phillipson said she would give 'my all' to cutting child poverty, tackling violence against women and girls, and fighting for equal pay. She visited a rape crisis centre this week, praising staff for doing 'incredible work helping women to find safety, security, and space to heal from profound trauma'.
Manifesto pledge on violence
Before entering politics, the minister managed a refuge for women and children fleeing abuse. She said she had seen firsthand that 'rights' are not abstract, but 'a real and silent guardian' in daily life.
'It's the ability of a woman to walk home safely at night, of a disabled person to use public transport, or of workers to be paid equally for equal work, something our trade unions fought hard to secure,' she wrote.
Labour committed in its manifesto to halve violence against women and girls, and Phillipson said she would put the pledge 'at the heart' of her work.
Farage 'clearly has a problem with women'
'Politicians like Nigel Farage want to scrap equality laws, doing away with protections for women, ethnic minorities, and disabled people. Removing bars on discrimination on the grounds of religious belief or sexual orientation,' she claimed.
She highlighted Farage's record, including his description of Andrew Tate as an 'important voice' for men and his suggestion that women should not get maternity leave.
'He's clearly got a problem with women, and I won't be afraid to call it out,' she said. 'So when right-wing politicians launch their diatribe against equality laws, remember what they really are – maternity rights, disability rights, the things working class people have fought for to drive progress in our society.'
Defending and strengthening equality laws
Phillipson listed the Equal Pay Act 1970, the Sex Discrimination Act 1970, the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Rights Act 2025 as achievements Labour had secured.
'As Minister for Women and Equalities, I won't let Reform UK turn back the clock. I won't just defend these rights, I will go further to strengthen them,' she wrote.
Second job as Labour chair
Phillipson revealed she has also become Chair of the Labour Party, describing it as 'a second job, but not the kind Nigel Farage loves'. She joined Labour as a teenager, she said, after watching the Conservatives 'wreck the North East'.
'In time, I saw firsthand the difference Labour makes – stronger rights at work, a better NHS, more opportunities for children,' she added.
She said the party had started to reinvigorate by beating Reform and the Greens in Greater Manchester this week, and vowed to work with members and unions to build an 'election-winning machine' to secure a second Labour term.
Burnham 'off to a flyer'
Phillipson backed Andy Burnham's early performance as Prime Minister, saying he 'isn't afraid to take on the status quo' and has given hope.
'Too many people saw the decline of our country as inevitable. They said rough sleeping is a fact of life, public transport can't be affordable, local pubs have to close, issues like social care are just too tricky. Labour will show them,' she wrote.
Cheaper summer for families
With schools out, Phillipson highlighted Labour's measures to help families, including slashing VAT on children's meals and attractions. She said uniform costs would be cheaper, more free breakfast clubs would open, and half a million more children would have access to free school meals.
