Natalie Fleet, Labour MP for Bolsover, has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. She replaces Jess Phillips, who resigned from the position on Monday.
Jess Phillips stepped down citing frustration over a lack of “real change” under Labour leader Keir Starmer. Her resignation came just days after the party suffered a heavy local election defeat on 7 May.
Phillips resigned her ministerial role following Labour’s loss of nearly 1,500 council seats across England and Wales. Her departure adds to mounting challenges for Keir Starmer, who is already facing calls from his own MPs to resign.
In her resignation letter, Phillips criticised the party’s slow progress on tackling violence against women and girls, highlighting her concerns about the pace of change.
Natalie Fleet was elected to Parliament in July 2024, representing the former mining seat of Bolsover. She brings a deeply personal perspective to the safeguarding brief, having publicly shared her own experience of being groomed as a teenager. This experience has shaped her passionate advocacy for child protection and women’s rights.
The appointment has received mixed reactions. Supporters praise Fleet’s lived experience as lending authenticity and credibility to her new role. However, some critics have pointed to her past opposition to wider inquiries into organised grooming gangs and have questioned her approach to transparency on the issue, especially following Labour’s internal disputes over the topic.
Fleet steps into the safeguarding minister role during a turbulent political moment, marked by 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 such as Rotherham and Rochdale.
Originally published by UKNIP.
