Full Breakdown
Labour’s Women’s Conference: Phillipson Accuses Tories of Weaponising Violence
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event – Accusations and Launch of a National Taskforce
She framed women’s safety as a “national emergency” and announced a new cross-government taskforce to address misogyny in online spaces, workplaces and communities.
Background & Context – Migrant-Camp Debate and Labour’s Violence-against-Women Strategy
Phillipson’s remarks followed controversy in the Oxfordshire village of Piddington, where residents opposed a plan to house more than 1,000 male migrants in a former military base. Women in the village wrote to her expressing safety concerns; she described the right-wing focus on the issue as “political point-scoring.” Earlier in the year Labour unveiled a £550 million strategy to halve violence against women within a decade, including new rape-trial courts, a £13 million national centre for violence against women and girls (VAWG), domestic-abuse protection orders and a new offence for spiking.
Data & Statistics – Scope of Violence Against Women in the UK
- Phillipson highlighted that a woman is killed by a partner or former partner every five days in the United Kingdom.
- Joy Morrissey, Labour’s Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary, cited official figures showing rape reports rising from 35,000 in 2016 to 75,000 in the most recent year, with one-third involving victims aged 18 or younger and the highest numbers recorded for 14-year-old girls.
Official Statements & Responses
- Phillipson’s position: She argued that the right-wing parties discuss women’s safety only when it intersects with immigration, rather than pursuing comprehensive solutions.
- Joy Morrissey’s rebuttal: On GB News, Morrissey called Phillipson’s accusation “a bit rich” because Phillipson had not met the Piddington women herself. She stressed the need to address the surge in rapes and warned that dismissing the issue as political point-scoring undermines real-world safety.
- The source also defended Badenoch’s record on protecting single-sex spaces and listening to grooming-gang survivors.
Criticism & Opposition
- Right-wing criticism: Both Morrissey and the Badenoch-aligned source framed Phillipson’s remarks as selective and politically motivated, arguing that Labour itself has failed to protect women, citing past delays in sentencing reforms and the need to address abuse by institutions.
- Goddard argued that the Left has historically covered up abuse and that current debates risk silencing victims further.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I’ve always believed that women should have the right to single-sex spaces on the basis of their biology,” — Ms Phillipson, labour chair
- “It's a bit rich, given the fact that she hasn't come and met the Piddington women who have voiced their concerns, who legitimately want to meet her.” — Piddington. She
- “ Ms Goddard added: "People are talking about it because the justice was withheld and we weren't just abused by the abusers, we were abused by the institutions, so that is why it's brought up.” — Fiona Goddard, survivor
What’s Next – Ongoing Taskforce Work and Conference Debates
The newly created taskforce will convene experts, local leaders and ministers over the coming months to develop policy recommendations on misogyny, online harassment and protection of women’s spaces. The Labour Women’s Conference will feature panels on single-sex facilities, trans-inclusion policies and the impact of migration on community safety, setting the agenda for the government’s forthcoming legislative proposals.