Jess Phillips MP
Biography
Jess Phillips was appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the Home Office on 9 July 2024.
She was elected as the MP for Birmingham Yardley in the general election of July 2024.
Political career
Jess first entered Parliament as the MP for Birmingham Yardley at the 2015 general election.
Before becoming an MP, Jess worked for Women’s Aid in the West Midlands developing services for victims of domestic abuse, sexual violence, human trafficking and exploitation.
She was elected to Birmingham City Council in 2012 and was appointed Birmingham’s first ever Victims’ Champion in the same year.
As an MP Jess has continued to promote women’s rights and to encourage the most vulnerable in society to participate in politics and to find their voice.
Education and early life
Jess was educated at King Edward’s VI Camp Hill School in Birmingham and went on to study History, Economics and Social Policy at the University of Leeds.
She studied Public Service Management at postgraduate level at the University of Birmingham.
Personal life
Jess was raised in Birmingham and still lives, with her husband and two sons, in the community she was born into.
She is a bestselling author and has written four books including ‘Let’s be honest - truth, lies and politics’.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls)
The Minister’s responsibilities are:
- violence against women and girls (VAWG)
- safeguarding
- rape and serious sexual offences
- violent crime and domestic abuse
- child sexual abuse and exploitation
- modern slavery
- spiking