Public Affairs and Policy

Our Influence team aims to improve responses to perpetrators, male victims, and young people using violence and abuse. We achieve that by influencing policy and building relationships across the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) sector and beyond.

Respect has the privilege of providing the Secretariat for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Perpetrators of Domestic Abuse.

The cross-party group of MPs and Peers reformed, following a hiatus, on 4th September 2024. Its work will continue to ensure that members have access to information about perpetrators of domestic abuse and safe and effective ways to stop perpetrators, hold them to account and prevent further harm. This renewal of the APPG has come together at an exciting time – the new Labour government has announced a 'landmark mission' to halve violence against women and girls (VAWG) in the next decade, and pledged 'to target perpetrators and address the root causes of abuse and violence.' 

At the meeting, Jess Asato MP was elected as the new Chair of the APPG. Jess Asato is Labour MP for Lowestoft and a long-time advocate for tackling domestic abuse who has previously worked in the VAWG sector. We're delighted that Jess will be leading this next chapter of the APPG and look forward to working closely together. Baroness Bertin reaffirmed her commitment to this work and has taken up the role of Vice-Chair, as did Liz Saville Roberts MP who remains an Officer.

The inaugural meeting of this iteration of the group was well attended – including Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips, who discussed the Government's ambitions to tackle VAWG. Respect has been heartened to see the appointment of a Cabinet and front bench team which includes specialists in the issues of VAWG and domestic abuse, and to see early support for the APPG.

We would also like to thank previous Chairs, Alex Davies-Jones MP and Thangam Debonnaire MP, for all their hard work and for helping to build the parliamentary interest to where it is now.

If you'd like to know more about this area of our work, contact our Director of Influence, Caroline Bernard.