Labour MP Jess Phillips urges Government to 'actually take action' against domestic abuse
The Domestic Abuse Bill is set to be debated in Parliament today
Last updated 24th May 2022
Labour MP Jess Phillips is calling on the Government to listen to all domestic abuse victims and take firm action to put an end to domestic abuse in the UK.
It comes as MPs are set to debate amendments to the Domestic Abuse Bill in Parliament today.
Changes to the bill made by the House of Lords include recognising children as victims of domestic abuse and criminalising threats to share intimate photos of another person without their consent in England and Wales.
However, campaigners, victims and survivors say the bill still does not address some key issues.
Among them is Labour MP and shadow minister for domestic violence Jess Phillips, who last month read the names in Parliament of over 100-women who had been killed by male violence over the course of the previous year.
You can listen to what Jess Phillips told Forth 1 here:
She is now urging the Government to go further in tackling domestic abuse, the rates of which have increased during lockdown.
Speaking to our political correspondent Georgina Prodromou, Ms. Phillips said:
"The Government needs to listen to victims and listen to the sense of feeling since the killing of Sarah Everard and actually take action."
According to Ms. Phillips, failure to listen to all victims of domestic abuse risks leaving "very violent perpetrators of domestic abuse on our streets" which in turn makes our streets less safe.
She added that the message society should be sending to abusers is that they "will never get away with domestic abuse or sexual violence in this country and that women's safety will be of the highest political importance.
"I'm afraid that still just isn't the case in our country."
If you need help or more information about domestic violence, you can visit the Women's Aid website or you can call the freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247. If you're in an emergency situation, please call 999.