VAWG Work Cannot Stall Amid Political Chaos
Following recent ministerial resignations linked to VAWG and victims’ policy, new appointments Natalie Fleet and Catherine Atkinson now take on key safeguarding and victims briefs at a significant moment for the sector
The resignations of both Jess Phillips and Alex Davies-Jones - two ministers closely associated with the Government’s Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) agenda - sent shockwaves far beyond Westminster.
For many survivors, frontline workers, campaigners and organisations working in this space, this was never simply “politics as usual”. It raised immediate questions about continuity, trust, and whether long-promised reforms risked becoming lost amongst wider political instability.
In her resignation letter, Jess Phillips spoke candidly about frustration with delayed action, stalled progress, and what she described as a lack of urgency around issues affecting women and children. Alex Davies-Jones, meanwhile, resigned from her role as Minister for Victims and Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls following wider turmoil within government.
Across the sector, reactions reflected a common concern: what happens now?
Survivors are repeatedly told to trust the process. To come forward. To report. To engage. To wait.
But trust is not built solely through speeches or strategies. It is built through consistency, action, accountability, and visible commitment over time. That is why moments like this matter.
Many organisations and survivor advocates have already voiced concerns that violence against women and girls cannot become something quietly deprioritised amid leadership battles, reshuffles, or political crisis management. Services remain overstretched. Court delays continue. Conviction rates remain painfully low. Specialist support organisations are under enormous pressure with limited resources.
At the same time, there has been some reassurance in the Government’s latest appointments.
Natalie Fleet has now been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office, taking on the safeguarding and VAWG brief following Jess Phillips’ resignation.
Meanwhile, Catherine Atkinson has been appointed Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, stepping into the victims minister role previously held by Alex Davies-Jones. Atkinson is a barrister by background and has previously engaged with justice-related parliamentary work.
For many watching closely, these appointments matter because they signal that this work must continue despite wider political instability. Because the reality is simple: violence against women and girls does not pause when Westminster enters crisis. And neither does the need for leadership, reform, and accountability.
