Jess Phillips: Civil servants are being ‘treated like s***’ by Tory ministers

The Labour frontbencher said she hated the way the civil service is being “pitched against” ministers.

Appearing as a guest on Iain Dale’s All Talk show at the Edinburgh Fringe, she took a dig at Jacob Rees-Mogg, the minister for Brexit opportunities and Government efficiency.

Mr Rees-Mogg has been criticised for leaving notes on the empty desks of civil servants as part of a drive to stop them working from home.

Ms Phillips, who is Labour’s shadow minister for domestic violence and safeguarding, was asked how she would prevent civil servants from kicking her policies into the long grass if she was a minister.

She said she would try to have a “good and equal” relationship with them and “not put little notes on their desks”.

The Birmingham Yardley MP later said: “I hate the way the civil service is being pitched against Government ministers at the moment.

“No wonder they are trying to kick the can, because they are treated like s*** at the moment.

“Don’t start from the point of pitching yourself against the people who actually do the work.”

Elsewhere, Ms Phillips was asked who she would have voted for in the Tory leadership contest if she was a Conservative MP.

She said: “Tom Tugendhat. I think that’s an obvious answer, because I mean he seems like he’s from the Labour Party.”

Mr Tugendhat was knocked out of the race for Number 10 after failing to secure the support of enough Tory MPs.

He has since backed Liz Truss to be the next prime minister.