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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Jess Phillips

151 replies

GreenlandTheMovie · 19/03/2021 10:41

I've never been a Labour supporter, so I've viewed Jess Phillips MP in tv debates a few times from a neutral perspective, in fact, probably even somewhat biased against her as representing Labour. Yet I've been consistently impressed. She is passionate, principled, well informed and comes across well. I also saw her interviewed on the night of the last General Election, and she came across as almost a solitary voice of sanity and balanced perspective amongst the panic and blaming others than seemed to characterise Labour at the time.

Yes, she makes mistakes, but she seems to have so much more potential than people like Jeremy Corbyn and even Keir Starmer, who come across as quite happy to remain in Opposition but not really wanting the responsibility and inconvenience of actually running the country.

Is there something I am missing that explains why Labour isn't making more use of Jess Phillips?

OP posts:
VladmirsPoutine · 19/03/2021 11:23

She's one of the main reasons I cancelled my membership. Ghastly woman.

Mintjulia · 19/03/2021 11:24

I have the same impression.

@vladmirspoutine Why do you think she's ghastly? What don't we know?

Shoxfordian · 19/03/2021 11:27

I like Jess Phillips although I don’t usually support labour. Depending on the other policies, if she were the next leader then I could be persuaded to vote for them

the80sweregreat · 19/03/2021 11:28

@VladmirsPoutine

She's one of the main reasons I cancelled my membership. Ghastly woman.
Why is she ghastly?
tttigress · 19/03/2021 11:30

To me she seems keen to jump on any cause that will get her publicity.

NutellaEllaElla · 19/03/2021 11:33

I'm politically homeless but respect Jess Philips and would vote for her. I mean, it's not hard to be the best of a bad lot Grin

emmylousings · 19/03/2021 11:34

I think she's great, Labour have some strong female front benchers. I rate Stella Creasey (!?) aswell... I don't always vote Labour, and try to take each politician on face value.. There are Tories I admire too!

Peanutbutterfingers · 19/03/2021 11:35

I've worked with Jess, she is utterly genuine, hardworking and cares passionately about making lives better. I would have backed her for leader and I hope she runs in future.

ragged · 19/03/2021 11:36

I like JP a lot too.

GenderApostate19 · 19/03/2021 11:36

She knows full well the devastating impact of VAWG but also knows what side her bread is buttered so is heavily entrenched in Gender ideology, despite the obvious threat of letting Males into Female spaces. She is a hypocrite.

porridgecake · 19/03/2021 11:37

I watched her on BBC question Time last night. She was making a lot of good points about VAWAG, and saying that labour wanted much tougher sentences for rapists etc. She was careful not to mention that Labour policy is to lock up convicted rapists in women's prisons, if said rapist decides he suddenly identifies as a woman. This is already happening and IMO she is being massively hypocritical. It is also Labour policy to remove women's sex based rights to female only facilities, including refuges. So I am afraid I don't believe she cares about women.

MasterBeth · 19/03/2021 11:38

The Labour left hate her because she’s not of the left.

The Labour Party machine see her as ill-disciplined and woolly.

The Tory press hate her because she’s a passionate, engaged, principled woman.

I like her honesty and human-level communication.

Crankley · 19/03/2021 11:39

Are you her mum? Grin

MasterBeth · 19/03/2021 11:39

@porridgecake

I watched her on BBC question Time last night. She was making a lot of good points about VAWAG, and saying that labour wanted much tougher sentences for rapists etc. She was careful not to mention that Labour policy is to lock up convicted rapists in women's prisons, if said rapist decides he suddenly identifies as a woman. This is already happening and IMO she is being massively hypocritical. It is also Labour policy to remove women's sex based rights to female only facilities, including refuges. So I am afraid I don't believe she cares about women.
What a stupid, dogmatic thing to say. She has campaigned for most of her adult life for women.
ChristmasAlone · 19/03/2021 11:40

Most of Labour supporters consider her a Red Tory, anything right of Momentum is a Tory. She's more cut from the cloth of Blair - you know the man that won 3 elections and implemented huge change, opposed a man that lost 2 elections against 2 of the worst Tory leaders in history that the majority of the country would never get behind. She is a filthy centrist as far as they are concerned. And by they I mean hardcore adherents of the momentum code. But anything that isn't absolute socialism is not good enough for them and worthy of absolute derision. They've had 2 governments in 50 years one had the most progressive PM the other left the country with no electricity and 4 day working weeks but you know she's a tory.

KingdomScrolls · 19/03/2021 11:41

I've met her a few times, she seems genuinely passionate about women's rights and causes

Kit19 · 19/03/2021 11:42

she frustrates me. She has campaigned on women's issues for years and she knows damn well what a woman is

but she wont go against Labours TWAW stance which means going along with the abandonment of single sex spaces which she knows will harm women

GloGirl · 19/03/2021 11:43

I like her.

porridgecake · 19/03/2021 11:45

So why does she not speak out about this awful policy to remove women's sex based rights? That is pretty dogmatic IMO.

Brainwave89 · 19/03/2021 11:47

I have met Jess Phillips. I am not a traditional labour voter by any means and met her at a forum aimed at promoting women in business. My view is she was genuine, passionate, and a great champion of women's issues, notably domestic violence and provision for victims. She speaks her mind, unusually for a politician speaks honestly, and has spoken out against the left wing of her party where she has disagreed with what has been happening. So I would see her as a prominent politician, doing good work especially for women... I really did not think she was ghastly?

NothingIsWrong · 19/03/2021 11:49

And yet she won't agree that women are at risk when sex segregated services are weakened or disbanded.

NutellaEllaElla · 19/03/2021 11:53

Lets not expect her to be flawless, it's unreasonably high standards when in reality, she is miles better than most other politicians.

thepeopleversuswork · 19/03/2021 11:54

@VladmirsPoutine

She's one of the main reasons I cancelled my membership. Ghastly woman.
Genuinely curious as to how you can get to the conclusion that she's ghastly?

Not going to get sidelined on the TWAW issue: it is an issue but I assume that's a party line battle she's had to concede.

Aside from that she is a committed and passionate advocate for women's rights.

I can see she's not everyone's cup of tea but "ghastly" seems a pretty big leap....

AnyFucker · 19/03/2021 11:57

So why does she not speak out about this awful policy to remove women's sex based rights?

Because in the current fucking mad climate she would be cancelled and hounded out of her role. We have to hope there are people paying lip service to TWAW ideology but are actually using their position to keep championing women’s rights

ghostyslovesheets · 19/03/2021 11:59

Labour all my life - have been a member since 1985 - but not anymore due to the surrender of women only safe spaces to men (oh and letting men join women only short lists) etc.

I'm sure she's lovely but she is not pro women if she thinks their safety is worth sacrificing to avoid offending TRA's