Bridget Phillipson warns of rising racism and sexism in the UK
Bridget Phillipson has accused senior Reform and Conservative politicians of making racist statements as she warns that racism and sexism are “becoming normal” in the UK, reports BritPanorama.
The equalities minister specifically called out Conservative shadow justice secretary Nick Timothy and Reform UK’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick for their past remarks, rejecting the notion that she was merely resorting to name-calling.
Earlier this year, Mr Timothy faced backlash after describing prayer at a public Iftar event in Trafalgar Square as an “act of domination and division” on social media. He has since denied any racist intent behind his comments.
In a related incident, Mr Jenrick lamented his experience of not seeing “another white face” during a visit to an area of Birmingham in October last year.
In a discussion on the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast, Phillipson condemned such remarks, asserting, “We’ve had pretty despicable things that the likes of Robert Jenrick have said in the past on his visit to Birmingham.”
She added, “I think it is fundamentally racist because I don’t think he would say that about any other group.”
Phillipson also expressed concern for the environment young women are growing up in and the dangerous narratives that young men are exposed to, particularly regarding misogyny.
“I’m profoundly worried about what we’re seeing in terms of misogyny across society,” she noted, adding, “I worry about our daughters. I worry about the kind of world that they’re growing up into.”
She also highlighted the troubling trend of young men being fed ideas that blame women for their personal challenges. “Especially online, we have this whole industry that’s been built up on exploiting grievance and encouraging young men to think that the problems they’re experiencing are, or the ills that we see in the world, are somehow down to women,” she stated.
On attitudes towards violence against women and girls, Phillipson remarked, “I think we are at kind of a ground zero really in terms of attitudes around violence against women and girls.”
She cautioned that societal norms are shifting, saying, “Things that not very long ago felt totally unacceptable are becoming normal.”
Phillipson has previously clashed with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in Parliament, who described her as a “spiteful class warrior.” Reflecting on that encounter, Phillipson remarked, “When she had her say, I just kind of said that people would find her out for who she really was.”
She concluded, “I’m from an ordinary working-class family in the north-east. They don’t like people like me making the argument for what I believe.”
Both Jenrick and Timothy have been contacted for comments regarding these assertions.
