Jess Phillips

[GreenlandTheMovie]

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?

[Usagi12]

^^@MasterBeth

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

Yes but the issue is she believes that men can become women so she's not really campaigning for women is she?

[tellmetologoffIamaMNaddict]

For me it isn't about perfection but red lines and boundaries. I am to the left of JP (I think, never quite sure what she actually thinks about things like public ownership) but women's rights is my red line. I would pick her over a candidate who supports public ownership if I could count on Jess on women's rights. I agree it is not about perfection but I don't think not having rapists in women's prisons or girls pushed out of sports etc is really too much to ask really. Seems pretty basic. I can wait for nationalisation of public services.

[Usagi12]

@AnyFucker

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

I'll stick to facts and judge people on their actions rather than blind faith they may not agree with what they're saying and doing thanks.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

Who would you have instead?

[tellmetologoffIamaMNaddict]

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Who would you have instead?

I admit it is slim pickings and a first past the post system doesn't help but all I can do is vote on the issues that matter to me and lobby my local candidate. At the next election I will probably spoil my ballot with #labourlosingwomen

Candidates check spoilt ballots on election night so they will know exactly why they have lost my vote. I am sick of the race to the bottom and voting for the least worst option. I used to be an active Labour member too

[tellmetologoffIamaMNaddict]

They aren't listening. I have no choice.

[Dingleydel]

I really like Jess Phillips. I don’t believe for a moment she truly thinks TWAW. On a R4 interview the other day she was describing all the misogyny/sexism she has faced and said something along the lines of ‘theres nothing I can do to stop this, I can’t change the chromosomes in my body, therefor it’s up to men to change their ways’. I thought that was rather telling. People have to stick to a certain line of thinking now though, or their career is over.

[BoreOfWhabylon]

The only politicians speaking out against the insidious gender ideology are those in the House of Lords. Because they don't have to toe a Party line.

Never thought I'd be so grateful for an unelected second chamber, but I am.

Jess Phillips? She's a politician. Better than Nandy or Rayner though.

[Hont1986]

Don't really like her. She'll sometimes make some good points, but the whole persona she plays of "gobby, working-class woman tells it straight" turns me off her. And I don't think she ever found a TV camera she didn't like.

[littlepattilou]

@VladmirsPoutine

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

Why is Jess Phillips ghastly?

I think some Labour supporters don't like her because she is not 'leftie' enough.

As a pp said, Corbynistas can't stand her, as she doesn't blow smoke up Corbyn's arse like they do.

Like the majority of people on here, I really like Jess too.

[greycloudysky]

So called Corbynistas don't like her because she actively worked against the Labour party and their leader during the 2017 election. She was accused of back stabbing Corbyn and said something to the effect of, "I wouldn't stab him in the back, I'd stab him in the front".

After the election where she actively and openly worked against the leader, she wrote an article in the Guardian calling for everyone to support him.

She is meant to be helping to protect women from abuse and then sides with those trying to keep predatory men in women's spaces. She knows which side her bread is buttered.

She's one of those obnoxious people who bellows: "I SAY IT LIKE IT IS!" Thinking it makes her look down to earth but it just makes her look mouthy with bad manners. She is ghastly and this thread looks like an attempt to gauge info on a possible election challenge. She's always had sights on leadership but I'd rather have Kier Starmer, who is as effective as a wet rag, than obnoxious Jess Philips.

[CuriousaboutSamphire]

Fuck! That's a level of suspicion I hope never to attain!

[CuthbertDibbleandGrubb]

I don't agree with many of her ideas, but respect her as being honest and human, unlike a machine politician or the industrial scale liars, the latter of which are the majority of the current cabinet. The same as the respect I have for Stella Creasy.

[GreenlandTheMovie]

But is there any British politician at all standing up and making a principled stand against the extension of womens' rights to TWAW?

Names please? I can't think of any.

[GreenlandTheMovie]

greycloudysky She is ghastly and this thread looks like an attempt to gauge info on a possible election challenge.

I find that really quite offensive. Perhaps you would like to check my posting history?

If you are making up things like this, then its possibly an indicator that your judgement isn't that great.

I cannot believe that on a site like mumsnet, I've been asked if was "someone's mum" and accused of being involved in some kind of fantasy electoral challenge cum PR exercise. As I say, check my posting history if you really think that women talking about politicians should attract this sort of response. Its diminishing of other peoples' views that women can only form an opinion on politicians if they are doing it to benefit someone else.

[FFSAllTheGoodOnesArereadyTaken]

I agree in principle with people saying they wont vote for her because of her silence on the safe spaces for women issue. But to be honest I don't blame her for not speaking out, look at JKR, all that will happen is that she is labelled transphobic and get a load of hate and possibly lose her job and take her away from all the issues that she may be able to influence.

[Usagi12]

@FFSAllTheGoodOnesArereadyTaken

I agree in principle with people saying they wont vote for her because of her silence on the safe spaces for women issue. But to be honest I don't blame her for not speaking out, look at JKR, all that will happen is that she is labelled transphobic and get a load of hate and possibly lose her job and take her away from all the issues that she may be able to influence.

If that's the case then she should just keep her mouth shut on the matter but she doesn't does she, she's going along with it. Doesn't matter whether it's willingly or not.

[Gwenhwyfar]

@NothingIsWrong

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

Probably doesn't want to lose the whip/not get selected next time, which I understand.

[Gwenhwyfar]

"So called Corbynistas don't like her because she actively worked against the Labour party and their leader during the 2017 election. She was accused of back stabbing Corbyn and said something to the effect of, "I wouldn't stab him in the back, I'd stab him in the front"."

Yes, she means that she'll tell him she doesn't agree with him. Better than 'stabbing' in the back I think. She obviously didn't mean she'd actually stab him.

Corbynistas don't like her for obvious reasons.
She stood up to her party's Leadership. She continued on the Remain cause even in a Brexit-voting constituency. She's brave.

[GreenSlide]

@ChristmasAlone

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.

Momentum have ensured that we're stuck with a Conservative government for now and forever more.

[CateTown]

How many men who identify as transwomen are there in this country? No idea but I know there are 30million plus women and girls. Why do the rights of men who identify as transwomen trump the rights of over 50% of the population?

[ghostyslovesheets]

Momentum have ensured that we're stuck with a Conservative government for now and forever more yes this - like Militant did in the 80's - you can want a far left government all you want but the British people don;t seem to warm to the idea - have a 'red Tory' like Blair and you get 10 years of investment and decent policies - or cling to your JC idolatry and stay in the wilderness

also - please if we are talking about careerist politicians - what jobs has JC had?

[TheGoogleMum]

I like her. I know she rubs some up the wrong way. Before understanding the GC debate more I heard she was transphobic so toeing the TWAW party line doesn't rescue her from the gender extremists. I dont think she really does believe TWAW but won't dare speak out on that one. I believe she was supportive to Rosie Duffield

[Gurufloof]

@TheGoogleMum

I like her. I know she rubs some up the wrong way. Before understanding the GC debate more I heard she was transphobic so toeing the TWAW party line doesn't rescue her from the gender extremists. I dont think she really does believe TWAW but won't dare speak out on that one. I believe she was supportive to Rosie Duffield

I don't like her. But that's beside the point.
Absolutely everyone at some point is called transphobic, even if they are trans themselves.
If she doesn't believe the mantra, fine i have no problem with her just never mentioning it. But she does mention it, a lot, often, too much in fact.
Other MPs manage to avoid the subject, why cant she?