Jess Phillips Urges Epstein Scandal to Drive Systemic Reforms for Women's Safety
Labour MP Jess Phillips, the parliamentary under-secretary of state for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, has issued a powerful call for the Jeffrey Epstein files to serve as a catalyst for long-term legislative change. In a passionate statement, Phillips expressed frustration that progress often requires a crisis, but vowed to seize this moment to push for meaningful reforms.
Turning Crisis into Lasting Change
"It always takes a calamity to make institutions sit up and act on violence against women and children," Phillips stated, referencing high-profile cases that capture national attention. "These windows of potential energy are never wasted by women's rights activists." She emphasized that while the Epstein revelations have dominated headlines, they must translate into concrete action rather than mere expressions of sympathy.
Phillips revealed her personal mantra: "never waste a crisis." In recent weeks, as political fallout from the Epstein files unfolded, she has worked to transform public attention into substantive policy improvements. "Deeds not words are what matter," she asserted. "If repentance and sorrow is all we achieve out of the courage of the Epstein victims, we will have failed; change is all that will suffice."
Systemic Reforms Across All Institutions
The MP outlined comprehensive changes needed across multiple sectors:
- Police and courts must implement better protection mechanisms
- Health services need enhanced support systems for victims
- Schools require tools to address how violence affects pupils
- Housing and armed forces must prioritize women's safety
Phillips criticized previous approaches as "one note" and highlighted the Labour government's commitment to halving violence against women and girls within a decade. "No UK government has ever dared or cared to put a number on the problem before," she noted, emphasizing that this measurable target holds institutions accountable.
Economic and Social Imperatives
The economic argument for reform is compelling. "The annual socioeconomic cost for domestic abuse alone is estimated to be £89bn," Phillips revealed, not including rape, sexual harassment, stalking, and other abuses. She connected women's safety to broader societal outcomes: "If children grow up to be perpetrators of abuse or end up as victims, that will ruin their life chances more completely than not being good at maths."
Phillips stressed that every government department must consider how violence against women undermines their progress. "This is what this government is seeking to do, to really change this thing once and for all – to change the system, not just react," she declared.
Beyond Immediate Fixes to Prevention
While acknowledging that loopholes allowing trafficking through UK airports have been closed, Phillips argued this isn't enough. Epstein's victims need comprehensive support:
- Accountability for abusers to prevent recurrence
- Prevention of future Epsteins through education
- Legislation against online grooming using naked images
- Mental health care and social support for recovery
"I will use the momentum of the current political attention on this subject to get more," Phillips promised, drawing on decades of advocacy experience. However, she insisted that "pinch-point moments" shouldn't be the only times these issues receive attention. The government's strategy must be genuinely long-term.
Phillips concluded with determination: "Epstein's victims deserve better." As MP for Birmingham Yardley and a leading voice on women's safety, she remains committed to transforming crisis into lasting systemic change that protects British women and girls from violence.
