Latest news with #JessPhillips
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Parliament is still stacked with gender ideologues
Let's be clear: by 'transphobes' Roca doesn't mean violent thugs who want to crucify cross dressers. He means you. He means the average British voter who believes that biological sex exists. The parents alarmed that teachers are telling their daughters they are 'born in the wrong body' if they like playing with trucks. The people campaigning to stop male sex offenders from being housed in female prisons. The detransitioners left scarred by medical experiments masquerading as care. He means the Supreme Court justices who recently reaffirmed that, under equality law, sex means biology, a decision he decried as 'depressing.' To Roca, all of them – all of us – are unhinged. But what's truly depressing is that Parliament is still stacked with unabashed gender goons like Roca, who confuse sneering for superiority and ideology for intellect. The Labour Party has become a refuge for some of the most absurd and extreme statements ever uttered into a microphone. Dawn Butler once bafflingly informed a Pink News audience that 'babies are born without a sex' and that ' 90 per cent of giraffes are gay.' Stella Creasy earnestly believes that being a feminist means affirming 'women with penises.' And Labour's health minister Ashley Dalton once tweeted that people should be able to identify as llamas if they wish. Then there's Jess Phillips, self-identifying 'gobby feminist' and safeguarding minister, who stayed mute as gender-critical MPs were hounded from public life, and who's said precisely nothing about the scandal engulfing the Tavistock Clinic. Where was her safeguarding when young women like Keira Bell were led down a path of irreversible medicalisation on the NHS? But what's most infuriating about Roca's smug sermon is his deluded belief that all that's needed is 'robust conversation' to 'bring people around' to his view that gender identity ought to outweigh the reality of biological sex. For a decade, gender lobbyists like Stonewall shut down debate, smeared dissenters as bigots, and undermined the democratic process by influencing public policy behind closed doors. When we wanted dialogue, they called it hate. Women trying to arrange discussions about now shelved proposals to reform the Gender Recognition Act faced bomb threats and intimidation from activists, and arrest and interrogation from Stonewall trained police forces. Thanks to their work, common sense has resurfaced, and it is sweeping through the nation. The public can see clearly who the real 'swivel-eyed' loons are: those who lock male rapists in women's prisons, who drug confused children, and earnestly believe you can be born in the wrong body.
The Independent
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Jess Phillips ‘disappointed' at rise in UK unemployment
The UK unemployment rate rose to 4.7 per cent in the three months to May, reaching its highest level in four years, while average earnings growth slowed to 5 per cent. A Home Office minister expressed disappointment over the latest unemployment figures, attributing the situation to 'fourteen years of totally stagnant growth'. Labour's Jess Phillips agreed that the economy does not feel like it is performing well and acknowledged it would take time for people to feel less financially strained. The Office for National Statistics indicated a continued weakening of the labour market, noting a decline in employee payrolls and a three-year continuous fall in job vacancies. Firms are facing increased pressure due to significant rises in national insurance contributions and the national minimum wage, alongside heightened global trade tensions.
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The Independent
17-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Are suspended Labour MPs undisciplined? Readers have their say
Sir Keir Starmer's decision to suspend four Labour MPs for defying the party whip has triggered a strong reaction, both inside and outside Westminster. The punishment meted out to Rachael Maskell, Chris Hinchliff, Brian Leishman, and Neil Duncan-Jordan comes after the government was forced into two major U-turns on planned welfare cuts amid its largest backbench rebellion to date. Some see the suspensions as a reassertion of control before MPs leave for summer recess, especially given rumours that disaffected Labour figures are in talks with Jeremy Corbyn about forming a new party. Starmer's supporters, including Labour minister Jess Phillips, argue the rebel MPs were right to be punished for 'slagging off their own government'. Meanwhile, the prime minister's critics say the move exposes his weakness, not his authority. Union leaders have condemned the actions as 'authoritarian' and warned of a deepening rift between Labour and the labour movement. The rebel MPs have defended their stance as a matter of principle, insisting they were elected to stand up for struggling constituents, not to rubber-stamp legislation they believe will cause harm. Independent readers also weighed in with strong, but divided, views. Some backed the need for unity and discipline in government, but others questioned Starmer's leadership style. Here's what you had to say: You sign up to follow party discipline If you get elected using the party's funding, logistics and "brand", you have signed up to follow party discipline and – on a three-line whip –to back the government. That's pretty much written in stone from the moment you put yourself forward as a candidate. In all parties. You might feel obliged to rebel on some matter of conscience, perhaps. But you do so knowing full well what the consequences are. SteveHill Do you think Keir Starmer was right to suspend the rebel MPs – or is Labour silencing dissent? Share your thoughts in the comments. Behaving like an undisciplined bunch Starmer is right to do so. A group of Labour backbenchers are behaving like an undisciplined bunch of student protestors, not members of the governing party. Maybe it's because Labour holds power so rarely, but it invariably has a troublesome internal opposition who don't seem able to grasp that once a party is in government, the primary duty of MPs is to govern in the national interest and adopt collective responsibility – and then to represent the views of their constituents. Their own political and ideological preferences come some way down the list of priorities, and undermining their own government by throwing their toys out of the pram when they don't get their own way is stupid. The voters don't like divided parties which fight internal wars – that was a large part of the reason they chucked the Tories out. If the impression that the left has run amok and is creating anarchy takes root, then Labour will be toast and we will get the Tories back (or even worse, Reform). If that happens, the 'rebels' will have enabled the destruction of the welfare system and a rollback on what Labour has achieved on NHS improvements, net zero, green policies, and much else. Being in power and achieving something, even if not everything that all MPs want, should be far preferable to being back in opposition and achieving nothing. Tanaquil2 Have a backbone Being in government is not easy, and difficult compromises sometimes have to be made for the longer term. It's called not cherry-picking your favourite policies (remember the Brexit negotiations?) without being responsible for not being able to do other things. They will be someone else's favourites, and that way lies chaos. Support the government or don't, but have the backbone to call a vote of no confidence. The government is responsible to the people—not Labour Party members or other parties, for that matter. Longsands No easy fix Each MP should also have a duty to consider how to ensure the best for their constituents in the long term. This government is struggling to put right long-term abuses which have been levied on the ordinary British public for decades, many since Margaret Thatcher. Lies about giving ordinary people bigger stakes have been sold ever since, while the few accumulate more and more wealth and power. It will take a decade to rebalance some of this, and many of us will suffer in the short term for the greater good and for true democracy. Alas, there is no easy fix, even though many (most?) MPs would like to be able to offer one to their constituents. Reeves and Starmer seem to be doing the best they can with a lousy hand of cards and a rigged deck! Greym Primary duty I am reminded of Winston Churchill's comments about the duties of an MP: "The first duty of a member of Parliament is to do what he thinks in his faithful and disinterested judgement is right and necessary for the honour and safety of Great Britain. His second duty is to his constituents, of whom he is the representative but not the delegate. Burke's famous declaration on this subject is well known. It is only in the third place that his duty to party organisation or programme takes rank. All these three loyalties should be observed, but there is no doubt of the order in which they stand under any healthy manifestation of democracy." So an MP's primary duty is to the good of the country, then to his constituents as a whole, and only then to his party. Starmer has suspended MPs for doing their duty by putting the good of their constituents higher than party obligation. WellActually He can't sack them all! His vindictiveness is a sign of his weakness, as noted above. Leisham is the MP for Alloa and Grangemouth (Scotland); his suspension will likely set off alarms in the Scottish Labour Party, where Starmer is becoming increasingly unpopular. 26.6 per cent of children in Alloa and Grangemouth live in poverty. Brian Leisham, as a Labour MP for the area, has consistently opposed Starmer's policies, particularly those intended to worsen the lives of poorer people in Great Britain. He stuck to his principled approach in the welfare cuts debacle. I suspect that many other Scottish Labour MPs will continue their opposition to Starmer. In the end, he can't sack them all! PaleHorse A group of 'martyrs' If he thinks he can assert his authority this way, then it will backfire, and he has created a group of "martyrs" who will feel free to be highly critical of his policies with no fear of retribution. It might even set an example. Other than that, he should have a word with himself over the summer, and ask why Labour MPs could possibly object to cutting PIP support dressed up as reform – a reform that wasn't even in the manifesto. He doesn't seem to understand how it looks on the ground when they take freebies whilst cutting from the poorest. And if he still doesn't understand why the rebels did what they did, he should resign. His top-down leadership style of commanding over 400 Labour MPs was always going to have its limitations. These people have opinions and are voicing them, but Starmer seems incapable of taking anything on board. It's a very old-fashioned, top-down leadership style. More modern styles engage with people and take them with them. Having kicked out any dissenting voices during his time in opposition, he has surrounded himself with yes-people, and now he is reaping the rewards. Organisations with those kinds of structures are always destined to fail. Leftyandproud One step towards a dictatorship This should not happen in a representative democracy. Each MP has an obligation to their constituents and their conscience, and should be free to vote in line with them. A cabinet should convince its MPs to vote for party policy, but forcing them to vote a certain way – which these bans effectively do, is one step towards a dictatorship. BigDogSmallBrain Heavy-handed Looks a bit heavy-handed to me, an outsider. These MPs gave an honest opinion and tried to persuade the government that it was making a wrong move. Once again, the government has handled an obviously sensitive issue clumsily, and the presentation came over badly. Advice to the government – if anyone should get the boot, it is your current PR advisers. There have been a series of bad calls over the past year that looked bad from WFA onwards. Learn or suffer the consequences. 49niner Want to share your views? Simply register your details below. Once registered, you can comment on the day's top stories for a chance to be featured. Alternatively, click 'log in' or 'register' in the top right corner to sign in or sign up.
BBC News
17-07-2025
- BBC News
Government spends £53m on domestic violence programme
The government is spending £53m over the next four years on an intervention programme which it says can help domestic violence perpetrators change their lives and move away from abuse. Since 2016, a pilot scheme has been working with perpetrators on a one-to-one basis to help them come off drugs and alcohol and resolve personal an independent evaluation that concluded the pilot had successfully cut abuse, the government has decided to fund an expansion of the programme across England and Wales. Home Office Minister Jess Phillips said the money would give victims a "better and safer future" but some domestic violence charities have expressed scepticism. The Drive Project pilot, which has begun operating in Essex, South Wales and West Sussex, has focused on high-risk or serial domestic violence perpetrators through intensive one-to-one case management for up to 12 that, victims are given a "dedicated independent domestic violence adviser" to provide support. But Debbie Jones, from the charity Resolute, said: "The only real deterrents to serious domestic violence are tougher prison sentences and stricter licensing conditions if perpetrators aren't sent to jail."And Refuge's Ellie Butt said the programme "may go some way in reducing the risk" but warned that perpetrator programmes "often lead to increased demand on local services for survivors so without co-ordinated and sustained investment across the sector, these new efforts will still fall far short of what is needed". An evaluation carried out by the University of Bristol found that the Drive Project programme reduced domestic violence, cutting physical abuse by 82%, sexual abuse by 88% and harassment and stalking behaviours by 75%.Kyla Kirkpatrick, head of the Drive Partnership, said victims "want and need better responses to the people causing harm in their lives. They need them to be seen, held to account and stopped."She said the Drive Project delivered this and added that evaluation had proved "it works". The programme will go live in 15 new areas by March 2026 and a full roll-out across England and Wales will follow. Speaking to the BBC, the Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, Jess Phillips, said the programme was part of "an effort" to change the behaviour of perpetrators rather than victims. Asked if the programme would see fewer perpetrators going to prison, Phillips said offenders would "still see the full force of the law". She added that the "vast majority of domestic violence perpetrators never go to prison". A further £230,000 will be spent on specially-trained plain-clothed officers who will patrol streets at night to crack down on predatory its manifesto, Labour promised to halve violence against women and girls in a on the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee have urged the government to provide more funding for support services and for tackling online a letter to Phillips, committee chair Tonia Antoniazzi said: "The shocking scale of violence against women and girls in Northern Ireland, highlighted by the harrowing experiences we heard of those who are forced to put up with it daily, cannot be tolerated any longer."The government is pointing to the project as a example of how it can work with charities, faith groups and social enterprises to deliver on its policies. In a speech in central London, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer launched a "Civil Society Covenant" which would introduce a stronger role for the third sector in government. "This is about rebalancing power and responsibility - not the top-down approach of the state working alone," he said."Not the transactional approach of markets left to their own devices but a new way forward – where government and civil society work side by side to deliver real change."
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starmer criticised over action against Labour rebels
Sir Keir Starmer was wrong to carry out a purge of persistent rebels, one of the MPs stripped of the Labour whip said. Rachael Maskell, who spearheaded plans to halt the Government's welfare reforms, had the whip suspended alongside Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff. Responding to Sir Keir's attempt to assert his authority over the party, York Central MP Ms Maskell said: 'On this occasion, I don't think he's got it right.' She told the BBC: 'I really hope from this process there will be reflection over the summer, but also learning. 'There needs to be a better reach-out to backbenchers to ensure that we are the safeguards of our Government.' The four MPs all voted against the Government over the welfare reform legislation, but party sources said the decision to suspend the whip was taken as a result of persistent breaches of discipline rather than a single rebellion. Government minister Jess Phillips said the four should not be surprised by the action against them. The Home Office minister told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'There has to be an element of discipline otherwise you end up not being able to govern.' She added: 'I think that constantly taking to the airwaves and slagging off your own Government, I have to say, what did you think was going to happen?' On Sky News she said: 'We were elected as a team under a banner and under a manifesto, and we have to seek to work together, and if you are acting in a manner that is to undermine the ability of the Government to deliver those things, I don't know what you expect.' Referring to a description of the rebels by an unnamed source in The Times, she told Sky News: 'I didn't call it persistent knob-headery, but that's the way that it's been termed by some.'
