Natalie Fleet, Labour MP for Bolsover, has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls, replacing Jess Phillips who resigned on Monday. Phillips stepped down, citing frustration over a lack of “real change” under Labour leader Keir Starmer, just days after the party suffered a heavy local election defeat on 7 May.
Phillips Quits Amid Pressure
Jess Phillips resigned her ministerial role after Labour lost nearly 1,500 council seats in England and Wales. Her departure adds to mounting challenges for Keir Starmer, who is already facing calls from his MPs to resign. In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised the party’s slow progress on tackling violence against women and girls.
Fleet’s Personal Connection
Fleet, elected to Parliament in July 2024 representing the former mining seat of Bolsover, brings a deeply personal perspective to the safeguarding brief. She has publicly shared her own experience of being groomed as a teenager, which has shaped her passionate advocacy for child protection and women’s rights.
Mixed Reactions To Appointment
Supporters praise Fleet’s lived experience as lending authenticity and credibility to her new role. However, some critics point to her past opposition to wider inquiries into organised grooming gangs and question her approach to transparency on the issue, especially following Labour’s internal disputes over the topic.
Government Under Strain
Fleet steps into the safeguarding minister role during a turbulent political moment, with multiple ministerial resignations and ongoing criticism of Starmer’s leadership. The safeguarding portfolio remains highly sensitive amid continued public concern over child abuse and grooming gang scandals in towns like Rotherham and Rochdale.
