Bridget Phillipson: “Yes, I’ve faced sexist briefings — but I’ll keep going”

Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson said she “completely” believes she has been on the receiving end of sexist briefings.

The Education Secretary also said there is an “irony” to reports which suggest she is Downing Street’s preferred candidate for the Labour deputy leader position. 

Reports claimed Ms Phillipson was one of those most at risk of being sacked earlier this year, in the lead-up to a Cabinet reshuffle.

At the time, Labour former minister Louise Haigh said she was “fed-up of opening the papers and reading briefings against female former colleagues”.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander also called for negative briefings from within Government against senior women ministers to stop.

Asked directly if she feels she was on the receiving end of sexist briefings, Ms Phillipson said: “Yes, completely. But you know, that’s life.

“I’ve been underestimated most of my life. I’ll just continue getting on and doing what I’m doing, not worrying too much about some of the nonsense that gets written in the papers.

“But I do slightly have to laugh, because there’s this idea swirling around somehow, that I’m No 10’s preferred candidate for all of this.

“Well, I’m not quite sure that’s what you and many colleagues in the media have been saying in recent months, with all of this negativity and nonsense that I face. 

“So there’s a certain irony I would say, in some of the way that this is being approached.”

Ms Phillipson also said she “had a fair bit of nonsense along the way myself, and lots of things written and said about the approach that I’m taking”, when speaking to the LabourList.

“I think that shows I’m a pretty independent-minded and forceful person. That’s what members should expect from me, if they vote for me as their deputy,” she added.

Ms Phillipson, who also has ministerial responsibility for women and equalities, is running against former Commons leader Lucy Powell for the deputy position.

She argued more should be done to support Labour MPs who were elected for the first time at the last general election.

Ms Phillipson added: “We’ve got to get better at working together as a team in Parliament, but also uniting our party and our movement.”

Asked if Labour MPs are being neglected by the Prime Minister and his team, Ms Phillipson said: “Being the Prime Minister is an incredibly tough job, and there is a lot going on internationally that the Prime Minister has to lead on behalf of our country.

“But I do think collectively, there needs to be much more done to work with colleagues to get into a better position.”