Trevor Phillips facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Trevor Phillips
OBE ARCS FIC
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Phillips in 2010
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| Chair of the London Assembly | |
| In office May 2002 – February 2003 |
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| Preceded by | Sally Hamwee |
| Succeeded by | Sally Hamwee |
| In office 4 May 2000 – May 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Sally Hamwee |
| Member of the London Assembly as the 1st Additional Member |
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| In office 4 May 2000 – February 2003 |
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| Preceded by | New constituency |
| Succeeded by | Diana Johnson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Mark Trevor Phillips
31 December 1953 Islington, London, England |
| Political party | Labour |
| Spouses |
Asha Bhownagary
(m. 1981; div. 2009)Helen Veale
(m. 2013) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Imperial College London |
Sir Mark Trevor Phillips (born 31 December 1953) is a well-known British writer, broadcaster, and former politician. He was the Chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2002 to 2003. You might know him from his work on Sky News, where he hosted Trevor Phillips on Sunday and now presents Sunday Morning.
Phillips also led important groups that work for fairness and equality. He was the head of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) from 2003. Later, he chaired its replacement, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), from 2007 to 2012. Besides his public roles, he has worked a lot in television as a presenter and executive. After stepping back from full-time public service, he continued to lead many company and social boards. He was even the President of the Partnership Council for the John Lewis Partnership from 2015 to 2019. He was the first person from outside the company to hold this role since 1928.
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Trevor Phillips' Early Life and Education
Mark Trevor Phillips was born in Islington, London, on December 31, 1953. He was the youngest of ten children. His parents moved to the UK from what was then called British Guiana in 1950. Trevor spent parts of his childhood in both British Guiana and Wood Green, north London.
He went to Wood Green County Grammar School in London. Later, he completed his advanced school exams at Queen's College in Georgetown, Guyana. After that, he returned to England to study chemistry at Imperial College London. He earned his science degree in 1975.
Broadcasting and Writing Career
Trevor Phillips started his career in television as a researcher for London Weekend Television (LWT). He quickly moved up and became the head of current affairs in 1992, a role he held until 1994. He also produced and presented The London Programme for LWT. He has worked on projects for major broadcasters like the BBC and Channel 4.
With his brother, crime writer Mike Phillips, he co-wrote a book called Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-racial Britain. This book explored the history of people from the Caribbean who came to Britain. For his work, he has won three Royal Television Society (RTS) awards. One of these was for Windrush, which was named Documentary Series of the Year in 1999. He is now a Vice President of the RTS.
In 2015, Channel 4 showed a documentary he wrote and presented called Things We Won't Say About Race (That Are True). He also helped analyze information for another documentary in 2016, What British Muslims Really Think. Both films looked at different ideas about race and communities in Britain. From 2021 to 2022, Phillips hosted the Sunday morning programme Trevor Phillips on Sunday on Sky News.
Political Activities and Public Service
While studying at Imperial College, Trevor Phillips became the president of the students' union. In 1978, he was elected president of the National Union of Students.
Phillips was the chairman of the Runnymede Trust, a group that works to promote fairness between different ethnic groups, from 1993 to 1998. He also served as a leader for other charities, including the London Arts Board. He became friends with Tony Blair, who later became Prime Minister. Phillips joined the Labour Party in London in 1996.
In 1999, Phillips wanted to become the Labour Party's candidate for the first Mayor of London. He later withdrew from the race. Instead, he became the running mate for Labour's candidate, Frank Dobson. Even though Dobson won the nomination, Ken Livingstone ran as an independent and won the mayoral election. Phillips was then chosen as a member of the London Assembly on May 4, 2000. He served as the Assembly's chairman until February 2003. He left this role to become the head of the Commission for Racial Equality.
In 2020, Phillips faced some questions about past statements he had made. He defended his views, saying that different groups in Britain should not be treated as if they are all the same. His suspension from the Labour Party was lifted in 2021.
Views on Society and Free Speech
Trevor Phillips has often talked about the importance of different communities living together in Britain. He has said that it's important to ask tough questions about how well different groups are mixing. He believes that people should be able to speak freely, even if their opinions might upset others. He once said, "One point of Britishness is that people can say what they like about the way we should live, however absurd, however unpopular it is."
However, Phillips also believes there are limits to free speech. He has spoken against giving a platform to extreme groups. For example, he criticized the Oxford Union for inviting a leader of the BNP and a Holocaust denier to speak. He called it a "juvenile provocation," meaning it was a childish way to cause trouble, not a real act of free speech.
Leading the Equality and Human Rights Commission
In 2003, Phillips became the head of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE). When the CRE was replaced in 2006, he was appointed chairman of the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). This new commission had a wider job: to fight unfair treatment and promote equality for people based on their age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and gender identity. The EHRC also worked to protect human rights.
Phillips served as EHRC chairman for a long time, until September 2012. During his time, the EHRC became recognized as the main human rights organization for England and Wales.
Honours and Awards
Trevor Phillips has received several important honours for his work.
- In 1999, he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his contributions to broadcast journalism.
- In 2007, Loughborough University gave him an Honorary Doctorate.
- In 2022, he received a knighthood in recognition of his services to equality and human rights. This means he is now known as Sir Trevor Phillips.
Personal Life
Trevor Phillips married Asha Bhownagary in 1981. Asha was a child psychotherapist with Indian heritage. They had two daughters together. Their daughter, Sushila, sadly passed away in April 2021. Phillips later married Helen Veale in 2013.
Boards and Appointments
Beyond his public service, Phillips holds several important roles. He is the chairman of Green Park Interim and Executive Recruitment. He is also a director at WebberPhillips, a company that works with data. He was a co-founder and director of Pepper Productions, a television production company. He has also been a member of the board for the Barbican Arts Centre and a trustee for the Social Mobility Foundation, among other charities.
