Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and former cabinet minister Lucy Powell have emerged as the final two candidates in the Labour Party's deputy leadership contest, after both secured enough nominations from MPs to enter the ballot of party members. The race is widely seen as a referendum on Keir Starmer's leadership, with Phillipson backed by Number 10 and Powell supported by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Phillipson secured 175 nominations from Labour MPs, while Powell reached the threshold with 117. Left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy failed to qualify. Phillipson said she was 'proud to have received well over half the nominations' and pledged to 'unite our party and our movement so we can beat Reform at the next election'. Powell, who was recently removed as Leader of the House of Commons, said the contest should focus on how the deputy leader can 'be a bridge for all parts of our movement'.
The contest has been described by some MPs as a proxy war between Starmer and Burnham, though Powell's team dismissed this as 'wrong and sexist'. Tensions have been heightened by a strongly worded statement from Mainstream, a centre-left Labour group backed by Burnham, criticising the handling of Peter Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador. Mandelson resigned after revelations about his correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein.
Both candidates have pledged to be leading campaigners for Labour across the country. A source close to Phillipson said she had 'broad base of support across all wings of the parliamentary Labour party'. The candidates must also secure nominations from constituency parties and affiliates before ballots are issued to members. A hustings will take place at the Labour Party conference, with voting opening on 8 October and closing on 23 October. The result will be announced on 25 October.
