Starmer most ‘feisty’ when his back is against the wall, says Jess Phillips as she calls for Labour leadership contest
The former safeguarding minister has criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s approach to holding tech companies accountable for children’s online safety as “timid”.
Jess Phillips has said the Labour party needs a leadership contest, insisting it could happen quickly, and even suggesting that it runs throughout the summer recess.
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The former safeguarding minister resigned from her position in Sir Keir Starmer's cabinet following the party’s disappointing local election results and criticised the prime minister's failure to be “bold”.
Speaking to LBC’s Andrew Marr, Ms Phillips said there is no reason why a leadership contest couldn’t happen “quite quickly”.
“We have the summer recess where we wouldn't be in Parliament anyway. So, there's no reason why it can't run throughout that,” she suggested.
She added: “Whoever stands, whoever it is in this contest is standing to be the Prime Minister of our country.
“They need to be tested, their ideas need to be tested and there's no reason that that should take endless amounts of time.”
Sir Keir has reportedly told supporters that he is prepared to stand in any leadership contest, should one be challenged.
Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham and former Health Secretary Wes Streeting are current favourites to stand against the Prime Minister for the job.
Despite questions about Sir Keir’s future, Ms Phillips has said in her experience he is “never more feisty, if you will, or determined than when his back’s against the wall”.
“I wouldn't bet against him running as a contender in any contest that it gets called,” she added.
Asked whether we’re seeing the best of Sir Keir in the last weeks of his premiership, following announcements that the defence plan is going to finally be published, Ms Phillips said: “Anything that gives someone a kick up the bum to do the things that people wanted doing and actually our country needs, I'll take it.
“So, you know, never waste a crisis and we shouldn't waste this one.”
When Ms Phillips resigned as safeguarding minister earlier this year, she accused Sir Keir of being slow to threaten legislation on preventing children taking naked images of themselves, despite the technology being available.
On Monday, Sir Keir announced Apple and Google have been given a three-month ultimatum to make it impossible for children to take, share or view nude images on their smartphones.
In response to the announcement, Ms Phillips said: “My reaction is one of relief that this has happened.
“I look forward to working with the Government on what the legislation needs to be to make sure that no child can ever be tricked into taking naked images of themselves for the use of global paedophile networks.”