Labour MP Jess Phillips has described her time as a government minister as feeling like being in a “straitjacket”. The Birmingham Yardley MP served as minister for safeguarding and women and girls for two years before resigning in May.
Comments at Edinburgh Fringe
Speaking to broadcaster Iain Dale at his political Edinburgh fringe show, All Talk, Ms Phillips said she was given “quite a lot more latitude” but still felt constrained by the role. She explained that anything she said would “make work” for those who worked under her, which she found “controlling”.
She noted that around 800 people worked under her at the Home Office, many of them “young, bright, brilliant people”. She said she didn't want to “make work for them” by going “a bit rogue”, but their superiors would question why they let her say certain things.
Thoughts of Leaving Parliament
Ms Phillips said she “hated” being a minister and that leaving Parliament “crosses my mind all the time”. She added that most Labour politicians live in their constituencies, which may not offer the same longevity as representing a London seat.
Safety concerns have also influenced her thinking, particularly after the last election and rising online tensions. In January 2025, Elon Musk labelled her a “rape genocide apologist” on X, leading to threats that required her to hire “lots of security”.
She said her life has “immeasurably changed” and she now has to think carefully about where she goes and what she does.
