Jess Phillips has resigned from Labour's frontbench after defying the party whip to vote for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The Birmingham Yardley MP stepped down as shadow domestic abuse and safeguarding minister, citing a 'heavy heart' and the need to vote with her constituents and conscience.
Phillips was among 56 Labour MPs, including eight shadow cabinet members, who backed an SNP amendment to the King's Speech calling for a ceasefire. In her resignation letter, she described the past four weeks as 'one of the toughest in politics' and said she could not see how the current military action would bring peace or security.
She expressed regret at leaving her role but vowed to continue working on women's safety from the backbenches. Phillips praised Yvette Cooper's mission to halve domestic abuse incidents within a decade and said she remained committed to delivering a Labour government.
