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 British writer, broadcaster, and former politician. He was the Chair of the London Assembly from 2000 to 2001 and again from 2002 to 2003. He also presented Sunday Morning on Sky News starting in 2023.
Phillips was chosen to lead the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) in 2003. He then became the chairman of its replacement, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), from 2007 to 2012. He has also worked as a television presenter and executive. After leaving his main roles, he continued to lead various company and social groups.
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Early Life and School
Mark Trevor Phillips was born in Islington, London. He was the youngest of ten children. His parents moved to England from British Guiana (now Guyana) in 1950. He spent his childhood partly in British Guiana and partly in Wood Green, north London. He went to Wood Green County Grammar School. He finished his A-levels at Queen's College in Georgetown, Guyana. He then returned to England to study chemistry at Imperial College London, where he earned his degree in 1975.
Broadcasting and Writing Career
Phillips began his career as a researcher for London Weekend Television (LWT). He was promoted to head of current affairs in 1992 and stayed in that role until 1994. He produced and presented The London Programme for LWT. He also worked on projects for the BBC and Channel 4.
With his brother, Mike Phillips, he wrote a book called Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-racial Britain. He has won three Royal Television Society (RTS) awards. One of these was for Documentary Series of the Year for Windrush in 1999. He is also a Vice President of the RTS.
In March 2015, Channel 4 showed a documentary he wrote and presented. It was called Things We Won't Say About Race (That Are True). In April 2016, he helped analyze information for another documentary. This one was called What British Muslims Really Think. Both documentaries looked at ideas about race and society.
From 2021 to 2022, Phillips hosted the Sky News Sunday morning show. He filled in for Sophy Ridge while she was on maternity leave. His show was temporarily called Trevor Phillips on Sunday.
Political Activities
While studying at Imperial College, 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 from 1993 to 1998. This group works to promote fairness for different ethnic groups. He also served as a commissioner for other charities. He was also the chairman of the London Arts Board.
Phillips joined the Labour Party in London in 1996. He was good friends with Tony Blair, who was Prime Minister. In 1999, Phillips wanted to be the Labour candidate for the first Mayor of London election in 2000. He later decided not to run for mayor. Instead, he became a running mate for Labour's Frank Dobson.
Even though Dobson won the Labour nomination, Ken Livingstone ran as an independent and won the mayoral election. Phillips became a member of the London Assembly on 4 May 2000. He served as chairman of the Assembly until February 2003. He then left his seat to become the head of the Commission for Racial Equality.
Views on Free Speech
Phillips has spoken about the importance of free speech. He believes people should be able to express their opinions, even if they might upset others. He said that a key part of being British is that "people can say what they like about the way we should live."
While supporting free speech, Phillips has also said that some groups should not be given a platform. For example, he criticized the Oxford Union for inviting BNP leader Nick Griffin. He called it a "juvenile provocation" and not a matter of free speech.
Views on Equality and Integration
In 1996, Phillips helped create a report called Islamophobia: a challenge for us all. This report looked at prejudice against Muslims in the UK. It helped make the term "Islamophobia" more widely used. The report also said that unfair treatment against Muslims was often linked to race.
Later, in 2016, Phillips shared more of his thoughts in a Channel 4 documentary. He said that while the earlier report correctly identified abuse against British Muslims, some other ideas in it might have been wrong. He suggested that British society needed to think about its own rules and behaviors.
Phillips has also said that Britain's approach to different cultures could lead to communities becoming separate. He believes it's important to talk about these issues openly. In 2006, he warned that Britain could "sleepwalk towards segregation" if it didn't address these challenges.
Boards and Other Roles
Phillips 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 of Pepper Productions, a TV production company. He has also been a member of the board for the Barbican Arts Centre and a trustee for the Social Mobility Foundation.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
Phillips became the head of the Commission for Racial Equality in 2003. When that group was closed in 2006, he was appointed chairman of its new version, the EHRC. The EHRC works to fight discrimination and promote equality for many different groups of people. This includes age, disability, sex, race, religion, and sexual orientation. The EHRC also works to protect human rights.
Phillips was the chairman of the EHRC for a long time. He finished his second term in September 2012. This made him the longest-serving leader of any UK equality commission.
Honours and Awards
Phillips was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award in 1999. This was for his work in broadcast journalism.
He received a knighthood in 2022. This honor was given to him for his services to equality and human rights.
In 2007, Loughborough University gave him an Honorary Doctorate.
Personal Life
Phillips married Asha Bhownagary in 1981. She was a child psychotherapist. They had two daughters. His brother, Mike Phillips, is a writer. They have worked together on writing projects.
