Labour MP Jess Phillips has described her party as "sexist" for never having a permanent female leader in its history. Speaking at the Hay literary festival, Phillips responded to a question about the lack of a female Labour leader by stating that "like all institutions, it's a bit sexist innit." She added that "every institution that every single person in this room works for is led by the patriarchy."
Resignation and Context
Phillips, the MP for Birmingham Yardley, resigned as minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls on 12 May. She was one of four ministers to step down that day, citing a loss of confidence in Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Health Secretary Wes Streeting followed on 14 May. The resignations came after Labour suffered significant losses in local elections.
While the Conservative Party has had three female prime ministers, Labour has never had a permanent female leader. Margaret Beckett and Harriet Harman have served only as acting leaders. This record seems unlikely to change if a Labour leadership contest occurs this summer. Andy Burnham is considered the frontrunner if he wins the Makerfield byelection on 18 June, with Streeting as his likely competitor from the party's right wing.
Leadership Prospects
Angela Rayner, who was cleared by HMRC over her tax affairs earlier this month, could potentially launch a leadership bid, but she has not declared an intention to run. Instead, she has said she will campaign for Burnham in the upcoming byelection. Both Rayner and Burnham belong to the so-called "soft left" of the party.
Phillips expressed hope for "wild cards" in a leadership contest but declined to specify who they might be. "It's whether Keir Starmer would stand in the contest, I suppose, is the wild card bit of it," she said. If Starmer does not step down, he would automatically appear on the ballot.
Panel Discussion and Comments
Phillips appeared at a panel event alongside Green Party MP Ellie Chowns and Times journalist Patrick Maguire. She described Labour's current position as "kind of bants," later calling it "terrible" and "heart-wrenching."
Phillips confirmed she would go to Makerfield to campaign for Burnham. When asked about Starmer campaigning for the man likely to replace him, she said, "All that should matter to anyone in politics is that you care about the country and the right outcome."
On Female Leadership and Decency
Regarding the lack of female Labour leaders, Phillips added: "I have to say, the idea that a woman leads and it makes it better for women is not one that I've recognised in this country. My mortgage went up by a thousand pounds a month, cheers Liz [Truss]. I shouted at her, every time I saw her, the amount that she now owed me. She has not paid me back."
Phillips also remarked that the perception of Starmer as a "good guy" had become "throwaway" but "shouldn't be," because "we didn't have that for a long time. We didn't have decency."
Anti-Politics Sentiment
She criticised the "anti-politics" stance of the Greens and Reform UK, saying it "sounds the same to me." While she might agree with the Greens more ideologically, she thought it was "very, very easy to just slag off the system and the people who are part of it without actually committing to the real solutions."
