Jess Phillips resigns, tells Keir Starmer 'deeds not words matter'

Louise44

I’m not an advocate of toppling Starmer. But I feel this is the most significant and well explained resignation so far. We can’t ignore it folks.

Charlotte Smith28

This line is absolutely the essence of Starmer’s failure: “the desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument, leaving opportunities for progress stalled”. It is such a tragic waste of a Labour government.

Richard Hernaman Allen17

She may be something of a maverick, but that is "sticking the knife in from the front"

Your Favourite Chicken Auntie17

Kowtowing to the techbros and appeasing the Reform fascists/neonazis were always my red lines that Starmer crossed.

Holly Brigstocke13

I've been saying for ages Labour's women need to put their foot down with Starmer. He's a bullying and nasty man and a misogynist. First Catherine West now Jess Phillips with Angela Rayner putting a boot in from the sidelines. It's just a shame they don't support all women and are transphobic.

Fat Apollo, baby!12

A brave and upstanding pos

all-a-mort.bsky.social11

Harsh, but undoubtedly accurate. Labour governments are rare and precious and an opportunity not be wasted. Especially with Farage waiting in the wings. Starmer has not just failed to deliver on the change needed, but failed to even appreciate the necessity of it.

Ken Spearpoint10

Despite her limitations, she is a very committed Labour politician who worked very hard for her class. This is quite something as it reveals the underlying nature of Starmer's 'leadership', one that is seemingly paralysed by indecision & lack of (beneficial) action.

Childless Dog Lady9

Bitterly disappointed with this. I admire Jess but resigning doesn’t help anyone (except reform) and putting the boot into the PM like this turns Labour into the last Tory government. Hold the fricking line, give the PM a chance to course correct and keep farage at bay!

@raystonian8

He's lost the one who laughed as the results came through in 2019. It's curtains for Starmer.

Maguire 6

Never trust any person who puts their photograph on letterhead.

Stu ⭐⭐ 🕊️5

Never got used to that friendship with Reece-Mogg.

james-harrington.bsky.social5

Plus a Labour government should: *Support the disabled and elderly not take support away. *Condemn genocide and illegal wars not support them. *Create a fair immigration system not one that favours wealth over need. *Stand up for the right to protest not jail peaceful protesters. Etc etc etc.....

liamgall.bsky.social5

Now that, is how you resign.

Dr Dave Hitchcock5

Damn, that one is deadly.

Barti Slatfass5

Wondering what that magic bullet against naked selfies is supposed to be.

Marty1981 (uk)5

I mean, the tech bros are the biggest threat to our future and to allow them to continue unchallenged just because of the jobs they would provide is a grave mistake. Im with jess and its hard to admit. Need someone in charge that will do what is necessary and take on the musks of the world

midlander4

I think that’s game over then.

Fran W3

Damning. A cabinet should exist to assert different opinions, feed debate AND disagreements, but then to collectively and fundamentally arrive at a consensus. If Starmer is not allowing this to happen, it’s a disgrace.

Andy Taylor3

Another one who is more interested in herself than the Country

Tiny Trace3

Of course she did… loves a bit of telly time…

Whom does she want instead? And why does she think that person would be any better? Those are the questions I keep asking about all of them but of course there are no answers.

radgiegadgie.bsky.social3

I cannot stand Jess Phillips but you cannot argue with any aspect of this letter - wow

JohnnyRed3

Wow. That one is particularly harsh

@raystonian3

Jess Philips resigns as minister for Jess Philips.

Kathryn 3

Ok I was coming on here to be annoyed with Phillips yet again resigning from a post but this letter is actually emblematic of all the other issues. Why aren't they progressing anything? She is correct on all fronts

minion of midas2

This feels very obviously written by herself.

danjac.eurosky.social2

It sounds like Starmer is the same in private as we all believe him to be in public. Unwilling to take stand, procrastinating and waffling.

John Turner2

I wonder if this is related to a bruised ego following Harriet Harmen’s appointment as prime minister’s adviser on women and girls?

marky-b-uc.eurosky.social2

Shame tho as Jess is good.

Oliver Mantell12

‘Deeds not words’ felt like a significant choice of language…

Amy Gray12

That quote at the weekend with Starmer saying "I want women to have the opportunities that they deserve." I mean, if he wasn't already delivering that, what on earth has he been up to?

Ben casper6

Interesting. Harman was scathing around the system that enabled Mandelson to come back into the fold time and time again.

The Bishop 🇬🇧🇪🇺🇺🇦🇨🇦🏴‍☠️💙5

…hey, come on, at least Sir Keir defends those Brexit red lines like a Catholic priest guarding the holy water. Seriously though, Starmer fails at everything that requires actual ambition or the guts to push for real change — especially when that change comes with inconvenient facts attached.

Jane Harbison2

He can’t do everything - where was her drive ? If she felt like this she had plenty of opportunity to resign - not impressed

Laurette 💙🇨🇦🇲🇽🇪🇺🇺🇦🐸2

I’m surprised that these female politicians are still on X especially after Elon Musk put a target 🎯 on Jess Phillip’s back. She has been very quiet since then. Might’ve been good for women if she’d been loud & vocal against Musk & X to help stop that kind of misogyny on social media.

Tracey2

Jess Phillips was praising starmer just a few short weeks ago. These labour mps better the house on the so-called "king of the north" might be in for a nasty shock if they get their way.

Simon Edmonds4

That middle paragraph is really damning.

Hugh Jones4

You can hear her say it, which is a sign of high quality, authentic writing

seancarpenter.bsky.social3

'The desire not to have an argument means we rarely make an argument' is a very good line.

Scornflake Grrrl3

I’m just really frustrated about the technology nonsense she’s put in there. Deeply nonsensical

@sigsalemie3

It’s a great letter, brutal. Says it how it is which is very much Jess’ style

Lorraine Parramore2

Your comment prompted me to read it in full. Thanks. Definitely from the heart, and you can hear her frustration. Very well written, no BS. And yes I'm a Brumme, though now grateful Scottish resident.

Steve Pearce2

I have a lot of time for Jess. She's MP for the constituency I grew up in. She sums it up beautifully. I thought Starmer's pre election policy of giving the tories enough rope to hang themselves was a master stroke, but it turns out that too much caution is how he works generally.

DeeCee12

If Keir Starmer was serious about change, he would announce: 1: Levison 2, to hold the feral mainstream media accountable and be regulated properly. Less opining and more journalism. 2: Authorise councils to build 1 Million council houses. The rents from which would help council budgets.

Joan van der Lingen12

Starmer can also end the circus by ending the new British tradition of leadership change whenever things get tough. Change needs time, especially after you all collectively committed suicide by leaving the E.U.

nicholasbannan.bsky.social11

So, who do people genuinely believe will be capable of doing a better job? I would discount both Rayner and Streeting to start with. And waiting for the second coming of Burnham is fraught with distractions that Farage and the media will exploit.

Gav37410

Oh fuckoff and just let him get the country back to some sort of normality after 14 years of tories destroying it at home and abroad

Michael Hindley7

Josh Simons MP, one of the key activists in 'Labour Together', the dubious clique set up to prevent Labour ever being a progressive party again & chose Starmer as their frontman, has called on Starmer to resign. You couldn't make it up.

Nation of Stupids7

Nah. Labour govt has 400 MPs with only 85 dissenters. Two years into a ten-year turnaround. End the circus. Stop pandering to the media. Get back to work.

Citizen of the World (and proud of it) 🇺🇦💪🏳️‍🌈5

No. He was elected for five years, the 70 MPs that want us to go back in opposition and let Farage win can go.

Gem&Molly ⓥ4

And did she say she would knife him in the front, as she said she would do to Jeremy Corbyn? (Not literally, but her language is usually awful). Horrible woman.

parttimecyclist.bsky.social3

Did she promise to 'stab him in the front' or was it the more traditional form this time?

Jane Harbison3

No we don’t If she was so concerned why did she not resign before? Principles?

GJdop3

Unfortunately, Jess Phillips is all about Jess Phillips. She will say or do anything to get her face in the headlines.

I’m not sure changing PM is the right thing for the country given the history of so doing over the last few years but this needs sorting pdq one way or the other or it will dominate all UK politics for the foreseeable future. To the nation’s detriment.

offbrandheels.bsky.social2

Well of course she says "deeds not words matter" When she said that Jacob Reese Mogg- a man who would use his power to deny when safe legal abortions if he could- was a nice man, that didn't matter, did it? ....

AnnE2

Phillips was not very effective, glad she has gone.

Nelly Probin2

What chance the NEC will act and give the membership an opportunity to decide who the next leader will be? Very little I suggest.

lorenzokershaw.bsky.social8

She's going to be seriously disappointed in Farage's position on this issue when he becomes PM. Which her actions now are enabling.

Joan van der Lingen6

I cannot keep waiting around? Where does she come from, Kindergarden? Keir Starmer has been in Office less than 2 years, very turbulent years with now the war in Iran threatening all economies. This is not a time to quit.

Andy Martell4

Let’s be fair… she’s resigned on just about every Labour leader she’s served under… in fact, she always stabs them in the front for good measure.

wiggy63.bsky.social3

Looks like another incumbent government is going to backstab its way to implosion. Labours problem is the MSM convincing idiots that Farage is fit to govern, he isn’t…. Let a serious politician get on with the job.

John Harrison2

Coming to a reality TV show near you soon....

Eleanor Ferguson2

Brilliant letter.No beating about the bush,but I wish people would stop saying he's a decent man.A decent man would not support Israel in a genocide.History,schools,hospitals,universities,water&food all destroyed, while he says that if we support the victims,we're terrorists.

TheMonkeyPlantation2

Is she using this to get out of a job that’s impossible to deliver?

LindenLynn2

Is this the same Jess Phillips who when Corbyn was leader of the #LabourParty 'says she would knife Jeremy Corbyn "in the front, not the back" if she thought he was damaging the party ' Sky News 14 .12. 2015 And laughed out loud on Ch4news at the results of 2019 election results? Labour are dead!

stevesaunders.bsky.social5

The letter is 🔥The para on naked selfies sums up everything wrong with Starmer: a complete failure to back up principles with action

wh1952.bsky.social2

The irony is that no previous PM felt it necessary to commit a junior minister full-time to safeguarding issues, and nor is it likely that any successor would either. I like Jess Phillips but I fear she has inadvertently set back the cause of female safety.

Andrea Mullaney6

In this specific area though - isn't she? More right than the men who hired Epstein's buddy, I'd say.

The Glass is Empty4

Totally unexpected move from the self serving lady.

Carole2

She’s certainly right about this .

peterscotissues.bsky.social2

But she wasn’t wrong either.

David Beech14

Some of his supporters on here are genuinely unpleasant. Jess is an amazing MP who has had her own personal safety put at risk standing up for what she believes in but she's critical of Starmer so now she must be traduced as some kind of turncoat or whatever.

JT9

Also, she literally sets out in the letter how, in private, she'd given him plenty of opportunities to improve and as he hasn't she has now gone public.

Matt8

I'm fairly sympathetic to Starmer but the overwhelming sense I get from this letter is someone who has earnestly tried to get their work passed through the leadership's ways of working and has finally given up out of frustration.

Matt Ashby6

I really struggle to understand what drives the pro-Starmer ultras in your feed. What positive policy position do they support that they think Starmer will enact that another Labour leader wouldn’t? Alternatively, what do they think Starmer is good at implementing that another leader wouldn’t be? 🤷‍♂️

Aaron H. Ellis3

And she did what they would presumably like - quietly advocating for change while sticking to the government line?

Peter Taylor3

I'd hardly call myself her biggest fan for a number of reasons... that said, the fourth paragraph is utterly damning and emblematic of the entire government under a void where a leader should be.

Tom4

she saw an opening in the middle of the day to get her name out there and made sure her face was on the letter

empiresofwaste.bsky.social2

One assumes that Jess's resignation because of 'violence against women' issues is a proxy to avoid telling Poison Penfold he's a shit PM? She didn't care about violence against Gazan women in the genocide, tho... Given her lead in the 'Labour antisemitism' fraud perhaps Muslim women don't count?

Dan, formerly of pantless fame8

while i am enthusiastically pro- discouraging noncing i do also feel very very very icky about setting a precedent that the govt gets to control what our cameras will and won’t allow us to capture