Full Text of Ministers’ Resignation Letters

Jess Phillips has stepped down from her role as safeguarding minister within Sir Keir Starmer’s cabinet. She becomes the latest official to leave the government, following the departures of Miatta Fahnbulleh, Alex Davies-Jones, and Zubir Ahmed. Below, you can read their letters of resignation in their entirety.

Jess Phillips

Dear Keir,

I begin by acknowledging the close collaboration we have shared for years regarding Violence Against Women and Girls. I have no doubt that you possess both the genuine understanding and the intent to address this grave social issue. We have initiated steps toward reform during our time in government, and I appreciate your backing. However, I feel compelled to note that tangible progress and direction in this sphere have typically only materialized when I issued threats following significant errors. The Mandelson controversy, for instance, prompted Number 10 to accelerate its efforts on the matter to demonstrate our credibility.

I refuse to exploit a crisis to advance the rights of women and girls; rather, I made demands, some of which were fulfilled. Fundamentally, I believe you are a good person who cares about the right issues. Yet, I have witnessed firsthand that this is insufficient. Your reluctance to engage in conflict means we rarely debate, causing opportunities for advancement to stall and delay.

Over a year ago, I proposed solutions, extensively developed by talented civil servants, aimed at preventing children in the UK from taking nude images of themselves. It is a fact that 91% of online child sexual abuse is self-generated by children who are groomed, tricked, and exploited. Technology exists that could prevent minors from capturing such images. We had the capacity to implement this protection across every device in the nation, thereby halting this abuse. Yet, it took me twelve months to secure your agreement merely to threaten legislation in this area—not to legislate, but to threaten. This exemplifies incremental change, lacking any boldness.

The announcement was scheduled for March. Although I remain hopeful it will occur in June, I have ceased to believe it will. How many children were left unprotected during our hesitation and our concerns for technology executives? This is merely one illustration. The refrain that Labour governments are rare is persistent, and rightly so, as they are precious. Every Labour administration during my lifetime and that of my family has driven progress that improved our country and the world. I know you care deeply, but actions matter more than words. I am uncertain that we are seizing this rare opportunity with the necessary vigor, and I can no longer wait for a crisis to force faster progress.

While decency and calm curiosity are essential, so too is the need for fight and drive. We must argue, push back, persuade others, and take a stand. Standing up for one’s principles cannot always be managed through consensus-building. Politics involves emotions as much as policy, particularly in the current climate. I want the Labour government to succeed and will continue to strive for its popularity and effectiveness as I always have. However, I do not see the transformation that I and the country expect. Consequently, I cannot continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.

Best wishes,

Jess Phillips MP

Miatta Fahnbulleh

Dear Prime Minister,

I am submitting my resignation as Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities. I am proud of the contributions I have made to this Government. Initially, as Minister for Energy Consumers, I secured energy bill discounts for six million families and launched our Warm Homes Plan. In my current capacity, I have implemented the transformative Pride in Place Programme, achieved a generational shift in power through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, and led critical efforts to combat the growing tide of hate and division within our communities.

It has been a privilege to contribute to a government that is diligently working at every level to deliver the change our nation requires. While progress has been made...

Source: BBC News Generated at: 2026-05-12 16:59:57 UTC