Natalie Fleet Resigns as Safeguarding Minister Citing Overwhelming Triggers

Natalie Fleet announced her resignation as safeguarding minister, describing the position as excessively triggering and saying it was adversely affecting her health.

The Labour MP, who endured grooming and rape during her teenage years, said she informed Andy Burnham’s incoming team that she regrettably could not continue in the role.

She called the decision the bravest action she has ever taken and pledged her support to whoever succeeds her.

Fleet assumed the post on 12 May this year after Jess Phillips stepped down, with Phillips noting that progress had been stalled and delayed under former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Announcing her departure on the social media platform Xexternal, Fleet said: “It was an honour to serve as safeguarding minister, but I quickly found the material overwhelmingly triggering.”

She added: “Victims deserve a minister who is at their best.”

She told BBC News that the safeguarding minister role exposes one to the worst of humanity, saying: “I know what it feels like to be unseen and unheard.”

“I understand how vital this position is and how much it requires a capable minister; it soon became clear that the role was harming my health.”

She noted that she received support from the Home Office during her tenure.

“Even with that support, the nature of the role means you are continually exposed to the worst of humanity.”

“Anyone would find such accounts difficult, but not everyone would respond as someone who has lived through similar trauma.”

“For me, this is among the most crucial roles in government, and serving in it has been the honour of my lifetime.”

“Few experiences compare to being tasked with improving the lives of women and girls; it was truly incredible.”

Fleet was elected as the MP for Bolsover in July 2024, succeeding long‑standing Labour member Dennis Skinner.

She has spoken candidly about her teenage experiences, including in a 2024 interview with GB News.

Fleet said she became pregnant at 15 after being groomed and raped by an older man, and she added that she suffers weekly nightmares about the incident.

She told the broadcaster, “I didn’t realise we were having unprotected sex; I was a child, and this constitutes statutory rape.”

The MP said she became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter, whom she described as the absolute love of her life.

In her maiden speech in the House of Commons in October 2024, Fleet said it was her duty to speak for women in her Derbyshire constituency whose stories often go untold.

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