Labour frontbenchers are 'going to mess up' and 'disappoint' voters, the new minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls has said. Jess Phillips, speaking at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, cautioned that while the government would make mistakes, it would ultimately adopt a 'more honest approach' than the previous Conservative administration.
Phillips criticised the Tories for 'gaslighting' the public, citing claims of increased NHS spending while patients faced long waits without treatment. She recounted a personal experience of receiving 'genuinely worse than healthcare I have watched being provided in war zones' at a Birmingham A&E, which prompted her to write her latest book, Let's Be Honest.
The Birmingham Yardley MP expressed surprise at being appointed to government, having resigned from the front bench last year to rebel over a Gaza ceasefire motion. She said Sir Keir Starmer's decision to 'give me, the naughty girl, the job back' demonstrated Labour's commitment to tackling violence against women.
Phillips noted a cultural shift within the Home Office and across government, with a renewed focus on violence against women and girls. She stated she felt 'really positive' about the government's direction on the issue, saying 'the nation has tired of it and wants it to be a public priority'.
