# Ex-minister Jess Phillips admits she pulled a sickie to avoid having to defend Peter Mandelson in the Commons

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ex-minister-jess-phillips-admits-she-pulled-a-sickie-to-avoid-having-to-defend-peter-mandelson-in-the-commons/
- Published: 2026-08-11T13:22:13+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-11T13:33:36+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16044337/Ex-minister-Jess-Phillips-admits-pulled-sickie-avoid-having-defend-Peter-Mandelson-Commons.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Government, Politics, UK, World

## Key points

- Jess Phillips admits skipping Commons duty to dodge defending Mandelson.
- She avoided having to publicly back him amid scrutiny.
- Episode highlights ministerial reluctance over defending controversial colleagues.

## Summary

Former minister Jess Phillips has admitted to feigning illness to avoid appearing in the House of Commons to defend Peter Mandelson at a time when he was facing scrutiny. The disclosure offers a rare, candid glimpse into how government ministers can manoeuvre to sidestep politically awkward duties, and comes as Mandelson's past conduct continues to attract renewed attention.

Phillips reportedly opted to call in sick rather than face the prospect of having to publicly defend Mandelson in parliamentary proceedings, a task she evidently wished to avoid. The admission has drawn attention to the pressures placed on junior and departing ministers to publicly back colleagues whose reputations are under strain, highlighting tensions within government over how to handle politically sensitive figures.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.