A survivor of sexual abuse has expressed her outrage at Bridget Phillipson after accusing Reform UK and the Tories of “weaponising” violence against women in an attempt to “point score”.
Speaking to GB News, survivor Fiona Goddard argued the Left were responsible for “covering up” issues including the grooming gangs scandal and the abuse of Britain’s women.
Ms Phillipson has accused Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch of “weaponising violence against women for political point scoring”.
The Women and Equalities Minister has claimed Reform and the Tories “only talk about women’s safety when it comes to immigration, rather than tackling the wider problem”.
Her comments come as she prepares to open Labour’s women’s conference in Liverpool today, days after launching a new task force to tackle misogyny.
Hitting back at the remarks, Ms Goddard told GB News that making such accusations against Reform and the Tories is “dangerous”.
She said: “I think Bridget was involved in the Home Affairs Select Committee that looked into the grooming gangs. She knows how badly we were failed, she knows the issues that were presented. But yet she still chooses to use language like weaponising it for the right of weaponising it.
“I think it’s actually quite dangerous, and the people that it actually impacts are the victims, because it gives people another layer to dismiss certain victims if their abusers or their abuse doesn’t fit the narrative.”
Ms Goddard has hit out at Bridget Phillipson after accusing the right of politics of ‘weaponising’ violence against women
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PA / GB NEWS
Ms Goddard accused the Left-wing parties of “covering up” the abuse suffered by women for so many years.
She argued: “What she needs to realise is right-leaning parties are bringing it up because the Left never did.
“The Left caused the issue, the Left covered it up, and it is now down to right-wing parties to raise the issue. If they weren’t raising it, we would still be completely dismissed altogether.”
Ms Goddard told GB News that Ms Phillipson’s remarks will cost the Labour Government votes from women at the next election.
The Equalities Minister has claimed Reform and the Tories ‘only talk about women’s safety when it comes to immigration, rather than tackling the wider problem’ | PA
She said: “I think it’s yet another case of the rights of women and children as long as they fit the narrative, if we don’t fit them, we’re dismissed and forgotten about. I think that’s a very dangerous position. You can’t be selective when it comes to women and girls safety.
“You’ve got to be looking at all issues and how you can correct it all, not just the ones that fit your narrative. And I think by pushing and dismissing what the right-leaning parties are saying now, that’s just adding to the selective-ness.”
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.
“But yeah, the Left over and over again, they don’t want to accept it, they don’t want to admit it, they don’t want to face up to it. It will affect their votes, it will affect their policies and they know they caused it.”
Ms Goddard told GB News that the remarks will cost Labour votes amongst women
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GB NEWS
Asked what message she has for Ms Phillipson directly, Ms Goddard concluded that it is a “failure on their part” for not listening to victims of abuse in the first place.
She said: “We’re the ones having to live it, and we’re having to shout extra loud just to be acknowledged. That’s not weaponising, that’s showing failure on their part for not listening.
“We shouldn’t have to shout, we shouldn’t have to have political parties representing not bringing it up, because it should have been dealt with all along.
“The fact that we’re having to shout so loud, we’re having to get political backing, we’re having to turn to other people other than the Government that’s running this country, shows failure on their part and no one else.”