Jess Phillips admits ‘mistake’ after defending masked men in Birmingham riot rant
Jess Phillips admits ‘mistake’ after defending masked men in Birmingham riot rant
PA/SKY NEWS/GB NEWS
Labour MP Jess Phillips has admitted she made a “mistake” after defending masked men who were accused of intimidating a journalist in Birmingham.
Phillips, who clung onto her Birmingham Yardley over her Workers Party challenger by just 693 votes, was involved in a row with Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice after a group of predominantly Muslim men brandished weapons and slashed tyres.
The Home Office Minister said the masked criminals “came to this location because it has been spread that racists were coming to attack them”.
Responding to Tice, Phillips said: “This information was spread entirely to create this content. Don’t spread it, Mr Tice!”
Jess Phillips admits ‘mistake’ after defending masked men in Birmingham riot rantPA/SKY NEWS/GB NEWSConceding she made a mistake, Phillips yesterday told Sky News: “Of course, I would choose my words more carefully [in future].
“I’m more than happy to say that when I make a mistake. Absolutely.
“I was trying to get across that this gathering of people had been manufactured by misinformation.”
In a clip published on social media, Sky News journalist Becky Johnson was approached by men wearing a mask and riding up to the camera on a bicycle.
A balaclava-clad protester said: “Free Palestine, f**k EDL.”
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Jess PhillipsPAPhillips' initial intervention was pounced upon by Tory and Reform UK MPs.
Ashfield MP Lee Anderson said: “You need to apologise for this and then resign. You're part of the problem not the solution. A disgusting tweet. What are you scared of? Losing votes?”
Tice added: “Jess Phillips trying to justify thuggery, intimidation and threats by violent gangs.”
Shadow Home Secretary James Cleverly, who is running to replace Rishi Sunak as Tory leader, also said: "Home Office ministers should not be making excuses for masked men shouting, abusing, and intimidating members of the media.
"Ministers are not commentators or casual observers, they are decision makers and need to think about the consequences of their words and actions."
Richard TicePALeadership rival Tom Tugendhat, who serves as Shadow Security Minister, added: “When gangs of masked men gathered in Birmingham brandishing weapons and, live on camera, threatened female journalists, and attempted to slash the tyres of broadcast vans, Jess Phillips – a Home Office Minister – chose to justify their behaviour instead of condemning it, because these were not far-right hooligans, but young Muslim men. One man attacked by these vigilantes ended up in hospital.”
Phillips, who was first elected to represent Birmingham Yardley in 2015, rose up the ranks to run to launch a longshot leadership bid to succeed Jeremy Corbyn in 2020.
However, the 42-year-old dropped out to support now-Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy just weeks later.
Phillips resigned as a Shadow Minister last November as Labour rebels put pressure on Starmer to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
She returned to Starmer’s frontbench after he romped to victory last month, with the Prime Minister appointing Phillips as Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls Minister at the Home Office.