- Labour chair and minister for women and equalities Bridget Phillipson has accused the Conservatives and Reform UK of weaponising violence against women and girls for political point-scoring rather than genuinely addressing the crisis.
- Speaking ahead of the Labour Women’s Conference, Phillipson defined women’s safety as a national emergency and claimed right-wing politicians only focus on the topic when linking it to immigration or asylum issues.
- Phillipson highlighted Labour's ongoing initiatives to combat misogyny and systemic violence, including a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation gangs and a strategy aimed at halving violence against women within a decade.
- Addressing the debate surrounding single-sex spaces, Phillipson affirmed her support for biological female-only spaces in line with Supreme Court rulings while emphasising that trans individuals must live free from harassment.
- A spokesperson for Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed Phillipson's statements as a spiteful attack, defending Badenoch's record on protecting single-sex spaces and addressing women's safety concerns.
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