By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-08-11 06:41:40 | Updated at 2026-08-11 11:19:52
4 hours ago
Former Home Office minister Jess Phillips has admitted to pulling a sickie to avoid questions in Parliament on Lord Peter Mandelson.
The former safeguarding minister said she called in ill because she could not honestly claim the then-ambassador was "good at his job".
Lord Mandelson was sacked as ambassador to the United States over his historic links to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, with Ms Phillips claiming at the time she had threatened to quit Sir Keir Starmer's government several times over Lord Mandelson’s appointment.
Now, during an interview with presenter Iain Dale at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Labour MP said: "Mandelson hadn’t yet been sacked, but we were in that sort of indeterminate week where the prime minister was giving him his full confidence.
"That week, it was Home Office questions and I didn’t go. Because I said if anybody asks me a question about whether Mandelson was good at his job I would say no.
"So I said I was sick. Luckily, I then did (fall ill). I think if I lie about being sick, I get sick."
In the interview, Ms Phillips also ruled herself out from joining Andy Burnham's administration, hinting she may quit politics all together.
The former party leadership candidate held onto her Birmingham Yardley seat by just 693 votes against Workers Party candidate Jody McIntyre, with scenes at the count going viral after she was heckled by pro-Palestine protesters.
She said: "I live a half-life, and I would like to live a full life. I’m not going to be there for 30 years. The last election was awful. If it were to be like the election I faced last time, I wouldn’t stand."
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Kemi Badenoch says Andy Burnham MUST rule out tax rises at first budget
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has urged Andy Burnham to rule out tax rises when Chancellor John Healey presents his first budget in the autumn.
Writing in the Daily Express, Mrs Badenoch said that any tax increases would potentially damage economic growth and add to the cost-of-living crisis.
She also said the Prime Minister needed to prioritise reducing the amount spent on welfare.
Mrs Badenoch said: "If Andy Burnham wants to ease the cost of living, he must not raise taxes.
"A bit of money off bus fares and bills might sound nice, but the real reason life is too hard for too many right now is because taxes are too high, and the weekly shop is too expensive.
"The tax burden is the highest it’s ever been. Conservative governments must share some of the blame for this, but they had the Covid furlough scheme to pay for.
"Labour came into power promising lower taxes. Yet, from the ‘Jobs Tax’ national insurance hike, to the family farms and family business taxes, they have squeezed firms dry, forcing up prices and the costs of hiring staff. As a result, jobs and growth have disappeared."
RECAP: Andy Burnham orders Justice Secretary to draw up plans to block early release of PC Harper's killers
Andy Burnham has ordered his Justice Secretary Alex Norris to draw up plans to prevent the early release of PC Andrew Harper's killers.
The Prime Minister, despite admitting defeat over the matter earlier today, is said to be "increasingly confident" that a "solution" can be worked out.
Downing Street admitted it was "not possible" to exempt "one or two offenders" convicted of manslaughter from the early release scheme earlier today.
No10 insisted Prime Minister Andy Burnham is "far from accepting the situation" but seemingly moved away from the prospect of an imminent carve-out to keep Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers behind bars.
