Jess Phillips says she has been open in her criticisms of Jeremy Corbyn and might stand for the leadership of her party should a vacancy arise after the election

While talking to voters in Birmingham Yardley I keep hearing the same two words, delivered unprompted and accompanied by a range of grimaces, groans and disobliging adjectives. The first word is “Jeremy” and the second is “Corbyn”.

“Yeah, that comes up a lot,” says Jess Phillips, who is defending a Labour majority in the constituency. Her challenge is to persuade voters that they are voting for her, not him.

Ms Phillips is in an awkward position, one familiar to other moderates on the Labour benches in the Commons until the election. Many voters in her constituency don’t like Jeremy Corbyn. They know she doesn’t like Jeremy Corbyn. So why should they vote for her when it might help put him in Downing Street?