Jess Phillips frankly acknowledged the distressing nature of the general election campaign, describing it as “absolutely horrible,” especially due to the abuse she faced. The climax came as she was jeered while delivering her victory speech for narrowly reclaiming her seat as the Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley with a mere 693-vote majority, amidst competition from a Workers Party candidate running on a pro-Gaza platform.
Ms Phillips, who resigned from the Labour frontbench in November to support a Commons vote advocating an Israel-Hamas ceasefire, encountered boos and heckles during her address to the audience at the vote count.
Stay updated on the aftermath of the general election live
It is recommended to utilize Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Jess Phillips heckled during speech
During an interview with Sky News’ Beth Rigby on the latest Electoral Dysfunction podcast, available later tonight, Ms Phillips pondered on the past six weeks of campaigning, expressing, “It has been an absolutely dreadful campaign.”
Characterizing the recent wave of abuse as “the most aggressive and intimidating,” Jess remarked, “The intimidation wasn’t limited to just me but extended to individuals in my constituency.
“People experienced intimidation, with some even told that divine judgement awaits them for voting in a certain way.”
Additional Coverage by Sky News:
Impact of Gaza situation results in Labour’s seat losses
Discover your current local MP here
In Birmingham, campaign volunteers encountered slashed car tires on Thursday, while a young woman distributing leaflets had “genocide” yelled at her directly while being recorded on video, Ms Phillips disclosed.
“The intent behind filming is to generate more content to instigate further intimidation,” she emphasized. “In my constituency, the humiliation was predominantly directed from men towards women.
“It’s all about creating content… that’s the current state of our political atmosphere – content-driven degradation.”
Never miss out on the latest news updates from the UK and globally by following Sky News
Ms Phillips revealed that although her sons actively participated in the campaign on election day, she opted not to bring them to the vote count due to apprehensions about potential unpleasantness at the venue.
“I didn’t think it would be suitable for them to witness any ugliness, even though they were cheerful and prepared, I chose to keep them in my office,” she recalled.
👉 Explore Electoral Dysfunction on your preferred podcast platform 👈
