Jess Phillips promoted by Keir Starmer to shadow Home Office minister

Labour Party politician Jess Phillips. (Photo by Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images) - Credit: Getty Images

Prominent backbencher Jess Phillips has been promoted to sit in Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s top team.

Phillips, who was in the running to replace Jeremy Corbyn but dropped out before voting began, has been appointed as a shadow Home Office minister, with a focus on domestic violence and safeguarding.

Sir Keir has announced more junior positions in his team after announcing the top frontbench positions earlier in the week.

Many MPs from Corbyn’s team have been kept on, but those from the centre and right of the party have also been given promotions.

He has also made Angela Rayner, the party’s new deputy leader and chairwoman, shadow first secretary of state and said she will deputise for him at Prime Minister’s Questions and in other key functions.


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MP for Birmingham Yardley since 2015, she has been a vocal campaigner against domestic violence and has won plaudits from both sides of the House for her powerful speeches in the Commons.

On International Women’s Day, she reads out a list of all the women killed by men in the past year.

Sir Keir has also promoted Liz Kendall, who came last in the 2015 Labour leadership contest alongside defeated contender in the 2020 deputy leadership race Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, an A and E doctor.

Former shadow digital, culture, media and sport secretary, Tracy Brabin, who was dropped from the front bench team in favour of Jo Stevens, has been given a more junior post as a shadow culture minister.

Sir Keir said: ‘This is a new team that will take the Labour Party forward in a new era.

‘Under my leadership, the Labour Party will be utterly focused on working in the national interest, rebuilding people’s trust in our party and winning the next election.’