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 is a member of the Labour Party and has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Birmingham Yardley area since 2015. An MP is a person elected to represent their local area in the House of Commons.

Since July 2024, Phillips has served as the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. This is a government role where she works to protect people, especially women and girls, from harm.

Before becoming a government minister, she was a vocal member of her party. She was a candidate in the 2020 leadership election to become the leader of the Labour Party, but she pulled out of the race early on.

Early Life and Career

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

Phillips attended King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls. As a child, she dreamed of one day becoming the Prime Minister.

From 2000 to 2003, she studied economic and social history at the University of Leeds. Later, she earned a postgraduate diploma in public sector management from the University of Birmingham.

Before entering politics, Phillips worked for Women's Aid, a charity that helps victims of domestic abuse. She managed safe houses, called refuges, for people needing to escape dangerous situations at home. This work taught her to be practical and focus on helping people directly.

In 2012, she was elected as a Labour councillor for the Longbridge area of Birmingham. She also worked as a "victims' champion," speaking up for victims of crime to the police and justice system.

Parliamentary Career

Phillips in 2017

In 2015, Phillips was elected as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley. In her first speech in Parliament, she talked about the importance of helping homeless people and victims of violence.

First Years in Parliament (2015–2017)

After her election, Phillips was appointed as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Lucy Powell, who was the Shadow Education Secretary at the time. A PPS helps a senior politician with their work.

During this time, the Labour Party was led by Jeremy Corbyn. Phillips often disagreed with his leadership. In 2016, she resigned from her PPS role to show her disagreement. She supported another politician, Owen Smith, in an unsuccessful attempt to become the new party leader.

In September 2016, she was elected as the chair of the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party, a group of female Labour MPs who work on issues important to women.

Second Term (2017–2019)

At the 2017 general election, Phillips was re-elected as the MP for Birmingham Yardley with an even larger number of votes than before.

In 2019, a debate started at a school in her area about lessons on relationships and accepting all kinds of families, including those with LGBT parents. Some local parents protested against these lessons. Phillips supported the school, saying it was important to teach children about inclusivity and respect for everyone.

Third Term and Leadership Bid (2019–2024)

Phillips was re-elected again in the 2019 general election. After the election, the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, announced he would step down. Phillips decided to run for the leadership of the party.

She announced her campaign in January 2020. However, she withdrew from the race a few weeks later, saying she wasn't the right person to unite the party at that time. She then gave her support to another candidate, Lisa Nandy.

The new Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, appointed Phillips as the Shadow Minister for Domestic Violence and Safeguarding in April 2020. In this role, she was responsible for the party's policies on protecting people from harm. She resigned from this position in November 2023 because she disagreed with her party's stance on the Gaza war.

Fourth Term and Government Role (2024–present)

At the 2024 general election, Phillips was re-elected, though with a much smaller majority. After the election, the Labour Party formed the new government.

On 9 July 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed her as a Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office. Her specific job is to oversee government work on safeguarding and tackling violence against women and girls.

Political Views

Jess Phillips is known for speaking her mind and is passionate about women's rights.

Women's Issues

Phillips often speaks in Parliament about issues affecting women. In March 2021, after the murder of Sarah Everard, she read out the names of all the women killed in the UK in the past year where a man was found responsible. She does this every year to highlight the problem of violence against women.

She has also been involved in debates about transgender issues. She has said that she believes trans women are women. However, she also believes there should be separate, safe spaces for women who have experienced violence, and that trans women should have their own separate facilities in places like prisons and refuges.

Online Abuse

As a well-known public figure, Phillips has often been the target of online abuse and threats on social media. After the murder of her fellow MP Jo Cox in 2016, Phillips spoke about the need to fight against hatred. She has had extra security measures installed at her office and home to keep her and her staff safe.

Personal Life

Phillips is married to Tom Phillips, and they have two sons. The family lives in Moseley, a part of Birmingham.

She has appeared as a guest and a host on the popular BBC comedy news show Have I Got News for You several times.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Jess Phillips para niños