Jess Phillips facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jess Phillips MP
Official portrait, 2024
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls
Incumbent
Assumed office 9 July 2024
Prime Minister	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Laura Farris
Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley
Incumbent
Assumed office 7 May 2015
Preceded by	John Hemming
Majority	693 (1.9%)
Shadow portfolios 2020–2023 Domestic Violence and Safeguarding
Personal details
Born	Jessica Rose Trainor (1981-10-09) 9 October 1981 (age 43) Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Political party	Labour
Spouse	Tom Phillips
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Leeds (BA) University of Birmingham (PGDip)
Signature

Jessica Rose Phillips (born 9 October 1981) is a British politician. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Birmingham Yardley since 2015. An MP is a person elected to represent a group of people in the UK Parliament. Jess Phillips is a member of the Labour Party. Since July 2024, she has worked as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. This means she helps lead government work on keeping people safe, especially women and girls.

Phillips was a special assistant to the Shadow Education Secretary in 2015. She often disagreed with the former Labour Party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. She even resigned from her role because of her concerns about his leadership. In 2020, she tried to become the leader of the Labour Party but later withdrew from the race.

Early Life and Education

Jessica Rose Phillips was born in Birmingham, England, on 9 October 1981. She is the youngest of four children. Her parents, Stewart and Jean Trainor, were both very involved in politics. Her father was a teacher, and her mother worked for the NHS (National Health Service).

Phillips attended King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, which is a local grammar school. From a young age, she dreamed of becoming the Prime Minister.

She studied history and social policy at the University of Leeds from 2000 to 2003. She also took part in protests against the Iraq War in 2003. Later, from 2011 to 2013, she earned a special diploma in public sector management from the University of Birmingham.

Early Career

Before becoming an MP, Jess Phillips worked for her parents' company for a while. From 2010 onwards, she worked for the Women's Aid Federation of England. This organisation helps victims of domestic abuse. Her job involved managing safe houses, called refuges, for these victims in Sandwell.

Phillips had left the Labour Party for some years but rejoined after the 2010 general election. Her work at Women's Aid taught her that helping people's lives was more important than just sticking to her own beliefs.

In 2012, she was elected as a Labour councillor for the Longbridge area in Birmingham. A councillor is someone elected to represent their local community. After this, she became the victims' champion at Birmingham City Council. In this role, she spoke up for victims to the police and justice groups. She also served on the West Midlands Police and Crime Panel.

Parliamentary Career

First Term (2015–2017)

In 2013, Jess Phillips was chosen to run for MP in Birmingham Yardley. She was elected as the MP for Birmingham Yardley in the 2015 general election. She won with 41.5% of the votes.

Her first speech in Parliament was about helping people who are homeless. It was also about improving how Britain helps victims of domestic violence and abuse.

In 2015, Phillips became a special assistant to Lucy Powell, who was the Shadow Education Secretary. However, in June 2016, she resigned from this role. This happened after many other Labour politicians resigned because they disagreed with the party leader, Jeremy Corbyn. Phillips said it would be "incredibly difficult" to continue as an MP if Corbyn remained leader. She supported another politician, Owen Smith, in his attempt to replace Corbyn.

In September 2016, she was chosen to lead the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party. This group works to support women in politics.

Second Term (2017–2019)

Phillips in 2017

Phillips was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Yardley in the 2017 general election. She won with even more votes this time. After the election, she said the Women's PLP would work together to create policies that help women.

In July 2017, Phillips asked for a review of how leaders of special committees in Parliament are chosen. She felt there were not enough women candidates for these roles.

In March 2019, Phillips said she thought she would be a good Prime Minister. She also made a strong statement about budget cuts affecting her son's school. She said she would "leave her son on the steps of Downing Street" to show how serious the cuts were.

Third Term (2019–2024)

In October 2019, Phillips believed the Labour Party might not win a majority in the upcoming election. She said if they didn't win, Jeremy Corbyn should resign as leader, and she might then run for the position. She was re-elected as MP for Birmingham Yardley in the 2019 general election.

Leadership Bid

After the 2019 election, Jeremy Corbyn stepped down as Labour leader. Jess Phillips was seen as a possible new leader. She announced she would run for the leadership on 3 January 2020. However, she withdrew from the race on 21 January. She then supported another candidate, Lisa Nandy.

Shadow Frontbench Role

On 9 April 2020, Jess Phillips was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding. This role meant she was part of the opposition team that checks the government's work on these issues. She resigned from this position on 15 November 2023. She said her decision was made with a heavy heart. She felt that the military action in the Israel-Hamas war would not lead to peace.

Parliamentary Standards

In May 2022, Phillips was investigated for not registering some of her financial interests on time. She admitted she had broken the rules, and the issue was resolved.

Fourth Term (2024–)

Phillips was re-elected again in the 2024 general election. She won with a smaller majority this time. She described it as the "worst election I have ever stood in."

On 9 July 2024, she was appointed a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office. She said her new role focuses on safeguarding and preventing violence against women and girls.

Political Views

Party Issues

In September 2015, Jess Phillips had a public disagreement with fellow Labour MP Diane Abbott. Phillips asked why Jeremy Corbyn's first Shadow Cabinet did not have more women in top roles. Abbott replied that Phillips was not the "only feminist" in the Labour Party.

Gender Issues

In October 2015, Phillips received criticism online. This happened after she made fun of a Conservative MP who wanted to have a debate about International Men's Day.

Phillips also spoke out in January 2016 about the number of men and women in Labour's Shadow Cabinet after a reshuffle.

Personal Life

Jess Phillips lives in Moseley, Birmingham. She is married to Tom Phillips, and they have two sons. Her husband used to work as her constituency support manager until February 2019.

Phillips has appeared as a guest on the BBC comedy news show Have I Got News for You many times. She has been a panellist and even hosted an episode in December 2021.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Jess Phillips para niños