Thornberry and Phillipson join contest for Labour deputy leadership

Dame Emily Thornberry has become the latest MP to put herself forward for Labour’s deputy leadership, saying the party has “made mistakes” and “must listen”.

The Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman joined Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and backbench MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy in announcing a bid for the deputy leadership, with others expected to come forward throughout Tuesday.

Dame Emily, who was not appointed to Sir Keir Starmer’s first Cabinet last year despite serving as shadow attorney general at the election, listed welfare, Gaza, a wealth tax and planned changes to special educational needs provision as her key issues.

In a post on X, she said: “I will be a voice for the membership, unions, PLP (Parliamentary Labour Party), and our constituents – not just nod along.”

Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Phillipson became the first Cabinet minister to announce a bid for the deputy leadership, left vacant after Angela Rayner’s resignation last week over her tax affairs.

She described herself as “a proud working-class woman from the North East” who had gone from “a single parent family on a tough council street” to the Cabinet table.

Adding that she had taken on “powerful vested interests in the education sector” and “never taken a backwards step”, she pledged to “bring that same determination to every battle ahead of us”.

Ms Phillipson said: “Because make no mistake: we are in a fight. We all know the dangers Reform poses to our country.

“But not only am I ready for it: I’ve proven we can do it. I’ve shown we can beat Farage in the North East, while staying true to the Labour Party’s values of equality, fairness and social justice.”

Ms Ribeiro-Addy announced her candidacy on Monday evening and appears set to be the main candidate from the left of the party.

Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme on Tuesday, she said Labour needs a debate about “what’s gone wrong” in its first year in power, warning the party will not be able to “attract or even to retain” voters without a change in direction.

Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, who was sacked as leader of the Commons on last Friday, is also said to be considering a run for the deputy leadership, as is Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker.

Nominations for the deputy leadership opened on Tuesday and candidates have until 5pm on Thursday to secure the backing of 80 MPs in order to reach the next round of the contest.

The truncated nomination period has led some to accuse the party leadership of orchestrating a “stitch-up”, while Ms Ribeiro-Addy described it as “unfair”.

She added: “The Labour Party is a broad church and, actually, when we are able to have debates, when we are able to bring forward different views, it actually makes us better.”

Few parliamentarians have so far come out publicly in support of a candidate, although Ms Ribeiro-Addy has received backing from members of the left of the party, including Richard Burgon, the chairman of the Socialist Campaign Group of MPs.

Others within the party have suggested Ms Rayner’s successor should be a woman from the North of England, which would rule out Ms Ribeiro-Addy and Dame Emily.

Speaking to Times Radio on Tuesday, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said he would “certainly prefer” the next deputy leader to be a woman.

He added: “Without being disrespectful to some brilliant women in London who are standing, like Emily Thornberry, who I’ve got lots of respect for, I can well understand why lots of my colleagues are saying we should have a deputy leader from outside London to broaden perspectives.”