“Because I sometimes shopped in Waitrose, I thought I was actually quite posh. I've realised that I'm basically a scullery maid. Even the middle-class people who I meet in parliament, people who live in London - which I think is remarkable because how can anybody afford to live there - seem much, much more middle class than me.”

British politician, born 1981

Jess Phillips is a British politician and Labour Party member, born in 1981. She has served as the Member of Parliament for Birmingham Yardley since 2015. From July 2024 to May 2026, she served as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Safeguarding and Violence Against Women and Girls. Her public work is closely associated with safeguarding and violence against women and girls, alongside her parliamentary role.