'You'd thank your lucky stars if Jess helped you'

The twin sister of a woman who was shot dead by her partner has said Jess Phillips was "the most helpful and passionate public figure" she had met.

It comes after tech billionaire Elon Musk called the safeguarding minister a "rape genocide apologist" after she rejected a request for a public inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.

Emma Ambler, from Birmingham, was one of seven victims of gender-based violence who signed a letter of support for Phillips following Musk's comments.

"No one should ever have to put up with this level of character assassination, and particularly not a woman who has delivered, and continues to deliver, and make this country a safer place," Ms Ambler said.

Ms Ambler has campaigned for stricter laws around gun-licensing since her sister, Kelly Fitzgibbons, and her two nieces, Ava and Lexi Needham, were murdered in March 2020.

Robert Needham, Ms Fitzgibbons' partner and father of Ava and Lexi, shot dead the three of them along with the family dog, at their home in Woodmancote, West Sussex, before turning the gun on himself.

A domestic homicide review revealed Needham lied on his shotgun application to police about previous convictions and treatment for depression.

Ms Ambler subsequently started The Kelly Fitzgibbons Foundation to raise awareness and campaign to tighten up the gun licensing process.

"If you ever have the misfortune of experiencing the loss and trauma that my family have, you will thank your lucky stars to have somebody with the compassion and strength of Jess in her powerful position," she said.

She described Phillips as the person who had "done more to end violence against women and girls than anyone else".

Ms Ambler connected with Phillips through the organisation Killed Women, which is for the bereaved families of women who have been killed by men in the UK.

It campaigns to better protect women from violence, ensure justice for those who have died, and improve the support and rights of families left behind.

"Jess was appalled and promised to help me and that is exactly what she did, giving her time, energy, compassion, support and even cuddles," she said.

"She raised the profile in a way I could never do alone, and is deeply passionate.

"Changes to this country's extremely poor gun laws are, I hope, now imminent, and this will make the country a safer place and it is all down to Jess and her team."

Signatories of the letter of support for Phillips included Holly Archer, Joanne Phillips and Scarlett Jones, who are survivors of child sexual exploitation in Telford, and Nour Norris, the sister and aunt of Raneem Oudeh and Khaola Saleem, who were murdered in Solihull in 2018.

The women said they had received support and kindness from Phillips.

"We stand by Jess, knowing she has devoted her life to fighting for women and girls," it added.

Phillips said her decision to reject a government-led inquiry in Oldham was because she believed locally led-inquiries, like in Telford, were more effective.

In the wake of the Tesla boss's comments, which were shared on X, Phillips told the BBC that "disinformation" spread by Musk was "endangering" her.

Asked if the threat to her own safety had gone up since his social media posts and whether protections were in place, Phillips replied "yes".

She said the experience had been "very, very, very tiring" but that she was "resigned to the lot in life that you get as a woman who fights violence against women and girls".

Phillips is also known for her annual homage to women killed by men in Parliament.

The Birmingham Yardley MP stands and names every woman, including some unknown, killed in the UK in the previous 12 months where the primary suspect or known killer was a man.

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