Labour’s Jess Phillips wins seat by less than 700 votes against candidate who said trans people are ‘danger to society’

5 July 2024, 06:23 | Updated: 5 July 2024, 10:41

By Kieran Kelly

@kellyjourno

Labour's Jess Phillips has been re-elected in her seat in Birmingham Yardley, winning by less than 700 votes.

Ms Phillips won with 11,275 votes, just 693 more than the Workers Party candidate Jody McIntyre, who won 10,582 votes.

It is one of a number of seats where Labour were pushed to the edge in areas with high Muslim populations, with the war in Gaza playing a big role.

Labour's Shadow Paymaster General Jonathan Ashworth even lost his seat to an independent candidate.

Shockat Adam, an independent candidate who has focused his campaigning on Gaza, won 14,739 votes to Mr Ashworth's 13,760 - a margin of just 979 votes.

Ms Phillips' victory comes against a candidate who wrote in a WhatsApp group that he felt the trans community is a "danger to society".

Jess Phillips reacts to narrow election victory

Speaking after her victory, Ms Phillips described the campaign as the "worst election I have ever stood in" as she was drowned out by chants of 'Free Palestine'.

“I love my seat was a marginal seat, I think marginal seats make better members of Parliament,” she continued.

Ms Phillips was forced to shout at the protesters, before demanding they be removed.

Mr McIntyre is alleged to have sent the messages in a local community WhatsApp group.

The messages, uncovered by LBC, appear to refer to a discussion which has taken place, resulting in a message from Mr McIntyre saying “I honestly think the trans community are a danger to society… but we can have different views”.

The candidate wrote "So you believe that if a person 'identifies' as a certain sex they literally become that sex?? Or should I say he believes. I honestly think the trans community are a danger to society."

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On Crowdfunder Jody McIntyre describes himself as a “Birmingham resident” who was “shocked and dismayed to discover that… Jess Phillips is a member of Labour friends of Israel… This is unconscionable”.

Workers Party candidate James Giles said: “Both the Muslim and LGBT community have been marginalised over many years.

"MPs, and by extension candidates for MP, have a duty to show leadership and bridge divides between communities. That’s the sort of MP I aim to be if elected in Hodge Hill.

"I hope Jody will also reflect on his comments, and work diligently to bridge those divides in Yardley, where people are in urgent need of real change."

The Workers Party declined to comment.