Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips has been accused of « racist and bullying behaviour » after getting right into a row on social media with high-profile headteacher Katharine Birbalsingh.
Ms Birbalsingh, former chairwoman of the Social Mobility Fee and as soon as dubbed « Britain’s strictest headteacher », accused the Birmingham Yardley MP of in search of to « whip up a social media mob » towards her on Twitter.
It got here after Ms Birbalsingh, head of high-achieving Michaela Group College in Brent, stated she inadvertently tweeted an image of Tina Turner alongside her abusive former husband Ike Turner amid tributes to the late star.
Ms Phillips then tweeted « maintain the road! », including: « Stick with me! Home abuse is rarely okay and we’ll defeat those that prop up the established order… ».
Ms Birbalsingh wrote a four-page, open letter to Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer that includes a sequence of tweets from Ms Phillips.
She wrote: « She impressed a vicious mob assault towards me on Twitter on the night of Could 24 2023, and referred to as into query my college’s safeguarding insurance policies in a deliberative try and problem my competence as a Headteacher. »
She additionally stated that she could be reporting Ms Phillips to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Requirements.
She wrote: « Ms Phillips doesn’t know me. She has by no means met me. She has by no means visited my college. The varsity is just not in her constituency. In her Shadow Ministerial position, she has not beforehand publicly accused every other college headteachers on this approach.
« My view is that Ms Phillips’ excessive and unprompted hostility in the direction of me is motivated by my race. By this I don’t imply that she hates all individuals of color.
« Her behaviour is a transparent instance of ‘unconscious bias’. I imply that she hates me, regardless of not realizing me, as a result of she subscribes to the concept that Black and Asian people in public life owe an obligation to voice opinions that match with a left-wing view of the world, or they’re worthy of her contempt. »
Sky Information has contacted Ms Phillips for her response.
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Ms Phillips, the shadow minister for home violence and safeguarding, is one among Labour’s most high-profile MPs and an everyday person of Twitter.
Ms Birbalsingh, who lately spoke on the Nationwide Conservatism convention in London, stated she was a « floating voter » and was not a member of the Conservative get together.
However she claimed that her attendance on the right-wing occasion helped clarify Ms Phillips’ anger in the direction of her.
She stated that Ms Phillips had introduced Labour into « disrepute » and referred to as on Sir Keir to take motion.
« I would really like assurances that no matter what views are held by any member of your Shadow group or get together, baseless and unfounded abuse is not going to be directed in the direction of my college and me. That is completely unacceptable, » she instructed the Labour chief.
Labour has not commented on the matter.
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