A Response to Tim Stanley Of The Telegraph

Jess Phillips’s honour more important to Starmer than the abuse of young girls

Dear Tim,

Congratulations on cramming more outrage into one article than a Daily Mail comment section on a snow day. “Jess Phillips’s Honour More Important to Starmer than the Rape of Young Girls”? What a nuanced and thoughtful headline. It’s almost as if you’re not here to foster meaningful discussion but to whip up a frothy spectacle of faux indignation. Bravo!

Let’s start with your Nazi comparison, shall we? Starmer defending Phillips against vile abuse is exactly like Chamberlain appeasing Hitler—if we lived in a universe where apples were oranges and nuance was illegal. Hyperbole might be great for clicks, Tim, but it does absolutely nothing to address the very real systemic failures surrounding grooming gangs. If anything, it trivialises both the historical atrocity you invoked and the modern crisis you’re supposedly outraged about.

And then there’s your fixation on Jess Phillips, who you describe as “self-centred.” Sure, Tim. Criticising a woman who works tirelessly for survivors of abuse is definitely the way to win hearts and minds. It’s almost as if you’re trying to make misogyny your personal brand. Mocking her while sidestepping her actual contributions is a masterclass in pettiness dressed up as political critique.

You also seem determined to pit defending Phillips against addressing the grooming gang scandal, as if Starmer can’t possibly do both. Here’s a radical idea: maybe, just maybe, leaders can denounce misogyny and work to fix systemic failings. It’s not a zero-sum game, Tim, despite how hard you’re trying to frame it that way.

Now, about those systemic failings you’re so passionately lamenting. You’re absolutely right that the grooming gang scandal is a national shame. But what’s your actual solution? Where’s the call for implementing past inquiry recommendations or holding police and social services accountable? Oh, that’s right—you skipped over actionable ideas to focus on Starmer’s “drab” delivery style. Because what really matters when tackling abuse is whether the Labour leader used enough hand gestures.

You claim there hasn’t been a “national moment of recognition” for the victims, yet you squander your platform on outrage theatre instead of demanding concrete actions. A new inquiry? Enforcing existing policies? Ensuring survivors have access to justice and support? Nah, better to focus on Starmer’s tone of voice and Chamberlain impressions.

Tim, your article isn’t the rallying cry for justice that victims deserve. It’s a self-indulgent rant, heavy on drama and light on solutions. If you’re truly angry about systemic failures, channel that energy into demanding accountability and action—not cheap shots at Phillips or comparisons that belong in GCSE history essays.

Next time, try turning down the flames and turning up the substance. Or, at the very least, leave Hitler out of it.

Yours sincerely,
Literally Everyone Tired of Your Outrage Karaoke.

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