Jess Phillips: Starmer Doesn’t Listen
Electoral Dysfunction
Sky News
4.4 • 764 Ratings
🗓️ 15 May 2026
⏱️ 50 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner, Wes Streeting - the list of potential names to challenge Keir Starmer is growing but the leadership race is not officially on... yet.
Jess Phillips, who resigned from the government this week, tells Beth why she's backing Wes Streeting in a future race and why Andy Burnham needs to be careful he doesn't look entitled as he searches for a parliamentary seat. She also gives a devastating verdict on the prime minister, telling Beth he 'finds it hard to listen" in her first interview since resigning.
Plus, as one Labour MP resigns in Makerfield so Andy Burnham can stand - can the 'King of the North' win a by-election? Or is he gambling his job on a seat he can't win?
And can Keir Starmer keep a lid on it all?
Got a question for the burner phone? WhatsApp 07934 200 444 or email electoraldysfunction@sky.uk.
And if you didn't know, you can also watch Beth, Ruth and Harriet on YouTube.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Sky News, the full story first. |
| 0:09.5 | He lacks in his operation, lack the drive to get anything done with the gusto that is needed. |
| 0:23.5 | Pick your metaphor. |
| 0:24.7 | The dam has burst, horse has bolted, the genies out of the bottle. |
| 0:27.4 | I mean, something. |
| 0:30.8 | The Prime Minister's team have done an amazing job of making this somehow West Streeting spot. |
| 0:39.3 | Hello and welcome to Electoral Disfunction with me, Beth Rigby. |
| 0:43.9 | Me Ruth Davidson and me Harriet Harmon. |
| 0:46.6 | Now, it's been a mega week in politics, a mega week for memes. |
| 0:51.6 | I have to say how much joy it's brought me, seeing all the edits online of me |
| 0:56.6 | being tethered to my broadcasting spot with a microphone, which stopped me interviewing James |
| 1:03.3 | Murray outside Downing Street. I spilt two coffees over the pavement and I became a comedy |
| 1:10.3 | character in the thick of it. I didn't mean |
| 1:12.6 | to it wasn't intentional. Karen messaged the burner phone, likening the mic to a cattle prod. |
| 1:18.0 | We had a WhatsApp from Joseph saying I was serving high camp. I quite liked that one actually. |
| 1:23.9 | And then Lottie made a Beth Rigby mega mix of me in all political crises, |
| 1:30.9 | like being a dick at Downing Street. |
| 1:33.6 | So thank you all for that. |
| 1:36.2 | Thank you. |
| 1:37.0 | Can you say I think it's a miracle that you've still got your voice and are able to speak to us today? |
| 1:40.7 | Because, I mean, there's so much news. |
| 1:43.1 | There's like a surfeit of news. |
... |
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