Jess Phillips has delivered a special message for the Jewish community in a video released following her withdrawal from the Labour leadership contest.
In the video, MP for Birmingham Yardley says: “I also want to send a message to the Jewish community, many of whom have been in touch with me to say they have found in me a voice who will always stand up for them.
“Well that doesn’t change. I will always stand up, I will always speak out, and I promise we will change the problems in the party that we have seen.”
Ms Phillips was an outspoken critic of the Labour leadership over the party’s antisemitism problem.
Her decision to pull out of the contest came after she failed to secure any union or affiliate backing, although she secured 23 nominations from MPs, which allowed her to enter the latest phase of the contest.
Sending a message to everyone who has backed me, to all who have joined in and joined up - I promise that your voices will still be heard. We all have a role to play in changing our party and our country. pic.twitter.com/xianaiGpPr
— Jess Phillips MP (@jessphillips) January 21, 2020
She also said in the video: “The Labour party will need to select a candidate who can unite all parts of our movement, the union movement, members and elected representatives. And I have to also be honest with myself, as I said I always would be throughout this campaign.
“At this time, that person is not me. In order to win the country, we are going to have to find a candidate, in this race, who can do all of that, and then take that message out to the country.”
She added: “I want to say to those people: this is not the end. It’s the beginning.”
