Racism and sexism have become normalised in Britain, says equalities minister

32:10 UK minister criticises misogynistic social media culture | Politics Weekly Bridget Phillipson Racism and sexism have become normalised in Britain, says equalities minister Exclusive: Bridget Phillipson says politicians have helped fuel hatred and that police are not taking violence against women and girls seriously enough

Prefer the Guardian on Google Racism and sexism have become normalised in Britain, the equalities minister has said, as she warned that young men were being sucked into violent misogyny by the “cesspit” of social media.

Bridget Phillipson said she was increasingly worried about how commonplace misogyny and racism had become, fuelled by online interactions and statements by politicians she said would not have been acceptable a few years ago.

She accused senior MPs from Reform and the Conservatives of having made racist statements in recent years, and accused the police of not taking violence against women and girls seriously enough.

Speaking to the Guardian’s Politics Weekly podcast, she said: “I worry that we are at kind of a ground zero in terms of attitudes around violence against women and girls. Things that not very long ago felt totally unacceptable are becoming normal. I think we’re seeing that in terms of attitudes towards women, and I think we see that in terms of attitudes around racism.”

She accused the shadow justice secretary, Nick Timothy, and Reform’s economic spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, of having made racist statements in recent years.

Earlier this year, Timothy called Muslims praying in Trafalgar Square an “act of domination” , while Jenrick came under fire in October after the Guardian revealed he had complained he “didn’t see another white face” on a trip to an area of Birmingham.

“We’ve had pretty despicable things that the likes of Robert Jenrick have said in the past on his visit to Birmingham,” she said. “We had Nick Timothy, who said some appalling things about Muslim prayer.

“Apparently I’m calling him names when I say that’s racist. I think it is fundamentally racist because I don’t think he would say that about any other group.”

Neither Reform nor the Conservatives responded to requests for comment.

Labour has been accused in recent years of shying away from criticising statements by Reform and Conservative MPs for fear of alienating their own voters. Phillipson’s comments suggest that under Andy Burnham ministers will be freer to take on their opponents more directly, even on sensitive issues such as race and gender equality.

Her comments about online misogyny underline the government’s determination to push through the under-16 social media ban , which was one of Keir Starmer’s last announcements in office and which ministers have promised will be in place by next spring.

View image in fullscreen Kemi Badenoch accused Bridget Phillipson, who raised taxes on private school fees as education secretary, of being a ‘spiteful class warrior’. Photograph: The Guardian The women and equalities minister also criticised the police for not taking violence against women and girls seriously enough. “We’ve seen some pretty shocking failings in terms of the police response over decades and sadly we’re not seeing the progress that we should in terms of how the police will often respond to this,” she said.

Labour itself is facing accusations of not taking violence against women seriously with its plan to release 5,000 prisoners earlyto free up space in crowded prisons.