Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2026 12:57 pm Jess Philips has resigned. Deeply disappointing. But still nobody of Cabinet rank.

Oh bugger!

Burnham allies warn against quick ‘coronation’ of Streeting if Starmer quits
Allies of Andy Burnham have warned against a “coronation” for Wes Streeting as the next prime minister and called on Labour’s ruling body to allow the mayor to stand for the leadership

So this bunch tried to push Starmer out while there man wasn't even an MP, now they're worried that somebody else will win the leadership. I think of all the people involved in this mess, they've really been the silliest.

Mind you, Jess resigning now is a bit closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. Her timing is rather poor, but as we saw at the GE in '24, her Birmingham Yardley seat is somewhat vulnerable to loss. There's a bit of self-interest in the mix for Jess, I fear. But yes, I thought Jess was made of better stuff than this.

Jess's resignation:

Dear Keir,

This week has been one of the toughest weeks in politics since I entered parliament. I have tried to do everything that I could to make it so that this was not the outcome, but it is with a heavy heart that I will be leaving my post in the shadow Home Office team.

On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head, and my heart which has felt as if it were breaking over the last four weeks with the horror of the situation in Israel and Palestine.

I can see no route where the current military action does anything but put at risk the hope of peace and security for anyone in the region now and in the future.

It is with great regret that I walk away from the role of domestic abuse and safeguarding shadow minister, however I don’t walk away from the work. Working with Yvette Cooper on the mission to halve incidents of domestic abuse within 10 years of a Labour government has been an honour. I am so proud that it is your Labour party and hopefully your government that has prioritised the chance to deliver a sea change in women’s safety not just tinkering with the legislation but actual systematic change across housing health, welfare, and the criminal justice system.

I will continue to do everything I can to deliver a Labour government and real change in the field of women’s safety. I will join the backbenches committed to being nothing but an asset to the delivery of a better future and Labour government that the people where I live and represent are desperate to see.

Yours sincerely,

Jess Phillips

Abernathy wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2026 12:58 pm Very disappointed to hear that Jess Phillips has apparently now resigned her ministerial post.

Indeed. I thought more of her than that.

On this occasion I must vote with my constituents, my head, and my heart which has felt as if it were breaking over the last four weeks with the horror of the situation in Israel and Palestine.

I can see no route where the current military action does anything but put at risk the hope of peace and security for anyone in the region now and in the future.

What's this got to do with resigning from the British Government? Can't she tell the constituents that the UK has no influence at all? And even if they voted for Jez and Polanski, the same would be true?

Yeah. I wondered there if she'd got her drafts mixed up and sent part of the wrong letter. Weird.

Or is she going for a bit of cheap credit with constituents, that she resigned over Palestine? I don't think anybody much will believe that.

In other news, negotiations on the EU reset are proceeding/ stuck, depending on your point of view.

Youth mobility scheme disagreement hampering reset of UK-EU relations
Deal was expected by end of month but talks hit buffers over cap on number of people entering UK and tuition fees

There's actually a summit at the end of June/beginning of July too, so the delay may not be a big problem. The EU seems to have stuck in an extra demand (that their students pay UK home rather than international rates for fees). Then again, you can understand why the EU might think it worth driving a hard bargain right now, and they have conceded stuff too (apparently on animal welfare. where the UK wants higher standards).

I suppose there are two ways of looking at it. We left, we have to take what we're given. But is that principle worth getting a Reform Government in the UK? I can understand how they hardball with Cameron when they didn't want to encourage other countries trying the same. But we've done Brexit, it's been shit, so I don't think anyone is going to think they should be like us.

Whoops. I'm afraid I've given you all a bum steer by reproducing Jess's letter from November 2023, when Jess resigned her shadow post after voting for an SNP amendment that called for a cease fire in Gaza.

SORRY

Here is today's letter :

I think that gives her even less credit. The obvious reply is why didn't she resign a year ago?

Abernathy wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2026 1:34 pm Whoops. I'm afraid I've given you all a bum steer by reproducing Jess's letter from November 2023, when Jess resigned her shadow post after voting for an SNP amendment that called for a cease fire in Gaza.

SORRY

Don't worry, Abers, I'm sure nobody will take the piss, it'll be fine.

davidjay wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2026 1:43 pm I think that gives her even less credit. The obvious reply is why didn't she resign a year ago?

Self-interest.

The EU seems to have stuck in an extra demand (that their students pay UK home rather than international rates for fees).

Are UK student loans and interest rates a state funded freebie?

The point is the overall universities budget. At present, lots of European students are paying higher rates. If they start paying lower rates, then there's a hole in the budget. Perhaps that can be filled with extra overseas students or something, but I can see why the Government might be demurring on this point.

3 ministers now.

Utterly ridiculous behavior. They know as well as I do that "orderly transition" and "timetable for departure" isn't something a Government will be allowed to do. Nobody backing Starmer now is insisting he stay the PM till 2029. They just understand how the politics of this works.

Abernathy wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2026 1:39 pm Here is today's letter :

As a small silver lining, imagine the 5-dimensional mental gymnastics going on in the alleged paediatric doctor’s head just now. Does he slag off JP for self-interest and disloyalty, or applaud her for attacking Red Tory Starmer?

Tubby Isaacs wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2026 2:02 pm The point is the overall universities budget. At present, lots of European students are paying higher rates. If they start paying lower rates, then there's a hole in the budget. Perhaps that can be filled with extra overseas students or something, but I can see why the Government might be demurring on this point.

As it is a reciporical arrangement you can see why the government doesn't want the brightest and best British students, not from moneybags families, to study in Heidelberg, Leiden or Copenhagen. What a mess.

Probably effects the highest parts of the sector more.

I’ve not seen an EU student in my stats for 4 years now.