Birmingham MP Jess Phillips has admitted that she pretended to be sick to avoid answering questions about Peter Mandelson during his final weeks as a government minister. The former safeguarding minister made the admission during an appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival on Monday, August 10, where she spoke with Iain Dale of LBC.
Ms Phillips, who represents Yardley, said she skipped Home Office questions during the period when Lord Mandelson was under scrutiny over his links to disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He was dismissed from his role as British ambassador to the United States in September 2025.
Why Jess Phillips avoided Home Office questions
During the interview, Ms Phillips explained that she could not honestly say that Lord Mandelson “was good at his job” at a time when the prime minister was still giving him full confidence. She told the audience: “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.”
She added: “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.”
Ms Phillips noted that “luckily” she did actually fall ill after calling in sick, adding: “Luckily, I then did [fall ill]. I think if I lie about being sick, I get sick.”
Reflections on government and future plans
The MP also reflected on her time in government, saying she was “much, much, much happier not in government.” She resigned as safeguarding minister under Sir Keir Starmer’s government in May of this year, citing that she couldn’t “continue to serve as a minister under the current leadership.”
According to the Telegraph, Ms Phillips also said she had “ruled herself out” of joining new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s government. She remarked: “I live a half life, and I would like to live a full life. I’m not going to be there for 30 years.”
She also hinted at the possibility of not standing again, saying: “The last election was awful. If it were to be like the election I faced last time, I wouldn’t stand.”
