Labour MP Jess Phillips spoke last night to supporters and Labour voters ahead of her campaign to be the next party leader.
The event took place with the aim to “build up a grassroots campaign” for her to succeed Jeremy Corbyn . The event took place at the BVSC in Digbeth with the MP for Birmingham Yardley speaking to Labour Party Members.
The MP acknowledged the failings of the election campaign. She said:
“We have fought hard, but three words is all it took for Boris Johnson to win trust and to be believed.
“People simply didn’t trust us to govern. Everything else became irrelevant. What happened in December doesn’t merit a small change, we have to fight this war against an empowered Conservative caricature.”
As well as addressing the election, the 38 year old MP also looked to the future. In the talk, she mentioned how to defeat Boris Johnson, saying:
Boris Johnson will take himself down. Us saying that Boris is a liar simply doesn’t work. You have to challenge him with honesty. The comparison will kill him. To beat him we have to reconnect with people politically.”
“I have never been part of any faction”
The December election saw Labour lose 59 seats, with leader, Jeremy Corbyn announcing his resignation. Jess Phillips managed to hold onto her seat on a night where Birmingham saw Dudley North, West Bromwich and Northfield swing to the Conservatives.
However, Phillips didn’t seem fazed by this, emphasising more on the forward action that Labour has to take, as well as dismissing claims that she belongs to a specific faction. She said:
“We have to build on our policies. I have never ever been a member of any faction or grouping within the Labour party. The Labour party should be open.”
Jess Philips will go up against Keir Starmer, Emily Thornberry, Lisa Nandy and Rebecca Long-Bailey to succeed Jeremy Corbyn, with the results being announced in April.
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