Latest news with #Jess Phillips
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Jess Phillips agrees the economy ‘isn't going well' and it will take time before people feel ‘less skint'
Labour 's Jess Phillips has agreed that it does not feel as if the economy was going well, as she acknowledged the rise in unemployment was 'disappointing'. The MP for Birmingham Yardley also said it would take time before people would feel less 'skint', as Britain's jobless rate has struck its highest level for four years. Put to her that 'it doesn't feel like things are going well' following the release of the unemployment figures, she told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'I agree. The issue of the unemployment figures today is something that every government should be absolutely firmly focused on. 'And as the Labour Party has made very, very clear since it came to government, forging forwards on economic growth and pushing our economy to grow is the only way we are going to find our way out of years of stagnancy and under-investment in our country.' She added: 'I wouldn't shy away from the fact that, of course, any level of unemployment is disappointing. 'The Labour Party, since it came to power, though, has created nearly 400,000 extra jobs that were not in the economy before. It has given a pay rise to three million people. Wages have grown faster in the last 10 months than they did in the previous 10 years.' She said 'all of this is going to take time' and acknowledged that 'asking people to take time to not feel as skint as they did before, it must seem absolutely maddening'. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of UK unemployment increased to 4.7 per cent in the three months to May, from 4.6 per cent in three months to April, marking the highest level since June 2021. Meanwhile, average earnings growth, excluding bonuses, slowed to 5 per cent in the period to May to its lowest level for almost three years. The figures point towards further pressure in the UK labour market, days after the governor of the Bank of England warned that the Bank is prepared to make larger interest rate cuts if it sees that the job market slowing. It also comes amid a backdrop of years of slow growth in the economy, with UK GDP (gross domestic product) shrinking in both April and May. Ms Phillips said it would take a 'long time' to turn around the economy, and said the government was 'fiercely seeking to create economic growth'. The Home Office minister told Sky News: 'Fourteen years of totally stagnant growth is not something that changes overnight and that is why we have to have a steely focus on getting investment into Britain.' However, the rise in unemployment is worse than expected but average wage growth was slightly higher than the 4.9 per cent predicted by economists. Pressure in the labour market for the three months to May comes as firms swallowed significant increases in national insurance contributions and the national minimum wage in April. Firms have also been impacted by intensifying economic uncertainty after US President Donald Trump launched a new tariff regime in April, leading to heightened global trade tensions. ONS director of economic statistics Liz McKeown said: 'The labour market continues to weaken, with the number of employees on payroll falling again, though revised tax data shows the decline in recent months is less pronounced than previously estimated. 'Pay growth fell again in both cash and real terms, but both measures remain relatively strong by historic standards. 'The number of job vacancies is still falling and has now been dropping continuously for three years.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Labour minister Jess Phillips says rebel MPs right to be punished for ‘slagging off own government'
A government minister has told Labour MPs punished for voting against welfare reforms that they have only themselves to blame in the escalating rebels row. Keir Starmer suspended Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff on Wednesday after the four rebels voted against the government's flagship benefits bill earlier this month. Responding to controversy over the prime minister's decision, home office minister Jess Phillips said on Thursday: 'I disagree often with directions that are going on and I spend time working with colleagues on the back and front benches ensuring that we discuss these things. 'Constantly taking to the airwaves and slagging off your own government – I have to say: what did you think was going to happen?' There had to be a level of party discipline for the government to function, Ms Phillips, who is the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. Government minister Jess Phillips has told Labour MPs punished for voting against welfare reforms that they have only themselves to blame in the escalating rebels row (House of Commons) The four MPs all voted against the government over the welfare reform legislation, but party sources said the decision to suspend the whip was taken as a result of persistent breaches of discipline rather than a single rebellion. Speaking to Sky News, Ms Phillips said: 'We were elected as a team under a banner and under a manifesto, and we have to seek to work together, and if you are acting in a manner that is to undermine the ability of the government to deliver those things, I don't know what you expect.' Referring to a description of the rebels by an unnamed source in The Times, she told Sky News: 'I didn't call it persistent knob-headery, but that's the way that it's been termed by some.' Ms Maskell, who spearheaded plans to halt the government's welfare reforms, hit out at Sir Keir's attempt to assert his authority over the party, saying he was wrong to carry out a purge of persistent rebels. Labour MP Rachael Maskell spearheaded plans to halt the government's welfare reforms (PA Archive) The York Central MP said: 'On this occasion, I don't think he's got it right.' Speaking to the BBC, she added: 'I really hope from this process there will be reflection over the summer, but also learning. There needs to be a better reach-out to backbenchers to ensure that we are the safeguards of our government.' Meanwhile, Sir Keir faced a fresh challenge to his authority when senior left-winger Diane Abbott said she had no regrets about comments on racism that led to her being suspended from Labour for a year. Diane Abbott has said she has no regrets about comments on racism that led to her being suspended from Labour for a year (PA Archive) The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP was disciplined for saying in 2023 that people of colour experienced racism 'all their lives' and in a different way to Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers. Despite withdrawing the remarks at the time, she was suspended from the Labour party after Sir Keir said her comments were antisemitic. In a new intervention, Ms Abbott, who was subsequently readmitted to Labour, said she does not regret her remarks and stands by her argument. She told the BBC: 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know.'
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Labour minister Jess Phillips says rebel MPs right to be punished for ‘slagging off own government'
A government minister has told Labour MPs punished for voting against welfare reforms that they have only themselves to blame in the escalating rebels row. Keir Starmer suspended Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff on Wednesday after the four rebels voted against the government's flagship benefits bill earlier this month. Responding to controversy over the prime minister 's decision, home office minister Jess Phillips said on Thursday: 'I disagree often with directions that are going on and I spend time working with colleagues on the back and front benches ensuring that we discuss these things. 'Constantly taking to the airwaves and slagging off your own government – I have to say: what did you think was going to happen?' There had to be a level of party discipline for the government to function, Ms Phillips, who is the minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. The four MPs all voted against the government over the welfare reform legislation, but party sources said the decision to suspend the whip was taken as a result of persistent breaches of discipline rather than a single rebellion. Speaking to Sky News, Ms Phillips said: 'We were elected as a team under a banner and under a manifesto, and we have to seek to work together, and if you are acting in a manner that is to undermine the ability of the government to deliver those things, I don't know what you expect.' Referring to a description of the rebels by an unnamed source in The Times, she told Sky News: 'I didn't call it persistent knob-headery, but that's the way that it's been termed by some.' Ms Maskell, who spearheaded plans to halt the government's welfare reforms, hit out at Sir Keir's attempt to assert his authority over the party, saying he was wrong to carry out a purge of persistent rebels. The York Central MP said: 'On this occasion, I don't think he's got it right.' Speaking to the BBC, she added: 'I really hope from this process there will be reflection over the summer, but also learning. There needs to be a better reach-out to backbenchers to ensure that we are the safeguards of our government.' Meanwhile, Sir Keir faced a fresh challenge to his authority when senior left-winger Diane Abbott said she had no regrets about comments on racism that led to her being suspended from Labour for a year. The Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP was disciplined for saying in 2023 that people of colour experienced racism 'all their lives' and in a different way to Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers. Despite withdrawing the remarks at the time, she was suspended from the Labour party after Sir Keir said her comments were antisemitic. In a new intervention, Ms Abbott, who was subsequently readmitted to Labour, said she does not regret her remarks and stands by her argument. She told the BBC: 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know.'
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour rebels warn Starmer has made things worse by suspending whip from four 'kn**head' MPs and stripping three others of jobs after welfare meltdown
Labour rebels sounded defiance today after Keir Starmer attempted to restore his authority over the party. The PM moved to suspend the whip from four MPs, and fired three more from trade envoy roles, in the wake of the humiliating welfare revolt. Rachael Maskell, Brian Leishman, Chris Hinchliff and Neil Duncan-Jordan will now sit as independents after being punished for behaviour that was branded 'persistent kn**headery'. Home Office minister Jess Phillips said that Sir Keir could not 'govern' without enforcing 'discipline', jibing at those who went against the leadership: 'What did you think was going to happen?' However, others who participated in the rebellion warned that Sir Keir - who last week suggested he is a 'hard b***ard' - has made things worse by attempting 'command and control'. The action came yesterday as Westminster prepares to head into its summer break next week. Home Office minister Jess Phillips said that Sir Keir could not 'govern' without enforcing 'discipline', jibing at those who went against the leadership: 'What did you think was going to happen?' Ms Maskell, the York Central MP, was a leading figure in the insurrection last month that forced the PM and Chancellor Rachel Reeves to all-but abandon plans to trim the UK's spending on disability hand-outs. The others have all clashed with the government over welfare and other issues including Net Zero and relaxing planning rules. Former shadow minister Rosena Allin Khan, Bell Ribeiro-Addy and Mohammed Yasin have been stripped of their roles as trade envoys. All seven voted against the Universal Credit Bill, even after ministers removed every contentious change to personal injury payments (PIP) that it contained. Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme if Labour MPs needed to show more loyalty, Ms Maskell said: 'I think the learning from this is that there's got to be more listening and that's got to be reciprocated'. 'I don't see myself as a ringleader,' she said. 'I joined with other colleagues who had similar concerns about this legislation. 'You know, we ultimately do believe that cutting money from some of the poorest in our society is not what the Labor Government should be doing. 'We should be ensuring those people are taken out of poverty, have the support that they need.' Former frontbencher Barry Gardiner told BBC Newsnight: 'I'm sorry that today it would appear that a hard line has been adopted. 'I don't think it helps the party, I don't think it helps No10. 'We want to be a united party taking what is an incredibly progressive agenda forward. 'But there needs to be that better way of listening to each other, engaging with each other and not thinking that if somebody disagrees with us they have to be disciplined. 'A political party is not something you can command and control.' Clive Lewis, Richard Burgon and Jon Trickett were among other Labour MPs voicing solidarity with colleagues who had been punished. But Ms Phillips told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'There has to be an element of discipline otherwise you end up not being able to govern.' She added: 'I am a plain speaker and I will tell you that I disagree often with directions that are going on, and I spend time working with colleagues, both on the back and front benches, ensuring that we discuss those things. Some Labour MPs have voiced solidarity with their suspended colleagues 'I think that constantly taking to the airwaves and slagging off your own Government, I have to say, what did you think was going to happen?' Ms Phillips said she spoke out 'against things I do not like, both internally and sometimes externally, all the time'. 'There is a manner of doing that that is the right way to go about it. And sometimes you feel forced to rebel and vote against,' she said. Referring to a description of the rebels by an unnamed source in The Times, she said: 'I didn't call it persistent knobheadery, but that's the way that it's been termed by some.' She said she would have described it as 'something much more sweary' because 'we are a team, and we have to act as a team in order to achieve something'.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starmer to pledge to ‘rebalance power' at summit with community groups
The Prime Minister will pledge to rebalance 'power and responsibility' at a summit with faith groups and charities. Sir Keir Starmer will deliver a keynote speech when he launches the Government's civil society covenant on Thursday, at an event that will touch on issues such as healthcare and violence against women and girls. He will tell attendees: 'This is about rebalancing power and responsibility.' Sir Keir will add: 'Not the top-down approach of the state working alone. 'Not the transactional approach of markets left to their own devices. 'But a new way forward – where government and civil society work side by side to deliver real change.' As well as the speech from the Prime Minister there will be sessions led by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and safeguarding minister Jess Phillips. Chancellor Rachel Reeves' de facto deputy Darren Jones will also lead a talk focused on investors and philanthropists. Ahead of the event, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said 'charities, volunteers, and social enterprises are embedded in the communities they serve and trusted by the people they support'. She added: 'That makes them the perfect partners for shaping the change we need. 'By working together, we'll improve public services, make them more responsive and rooted in local needs, and ensure that every community benefits as part of our plan for change.' In its election manifesto Labour pressed the importance of community groups when it said that 'government is at its best when working in partnership with business, trade unions, civil society, faith groups, and communities'.
