Labour deputy leadership race appears set for Phillipson v Powell contest

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and ex-Commons leader Lucy Powell look set to fight it out for Labour’s deputy leadership as the first stage of the contest draws to a close.

After nominations closed at 5pm on Thursday, the third candidate, backbencher Bell Ribeiro-Addy, said she had not secured the 80 MP nominations required to make it to the second round.

Ms Powell was expected to have cleared the hurdle.

Cabinet minister Ms Phillipson had already secured enough support a day before the deadline, sailing over the line with 116 nominations, with Ms Powell just three short by Wednesday night.

In a later-deleted post on X, left-wing MP Ms Ribeiro-Addy said: “Unfortunately, I have not secured the high number of nominations required to proceed in the deputy leadership contest.

“I am disappointed that the full range of Labour members’ views will not be represented on the ballot paper.”

She urged the two finalists to “be braver about the kind of debate and change demanded by Labour voters and members up and down the country”.

Education Secretary Ms Phillipson said earlier on Thursday: “This morning I have written to the general secretary of the Labour Party to accept nomination as a candidate for deputy leader.

“It’s time to unite our party and smash Reform.”

Earlier in the day, Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry dropped out of the race, saying “it has been a privilege to take part in this race with such brilliant women”.

She had picked up just 13 nominations by Wednesday night.

Backbencher Paula Barker, who had 14 nominations, also dropped out, giving her support to Ms Powell.

Ms Ribeiro-Addy was trailing in third place behind Ms Phillipson and Ms Powell, on 15 nominations.

Ms Phillipson continued to pick up nominations following a virtual hustings on Wednesday evening, and said she was “honoured to have the backing of such a breadth of colleagues”.

On Wednesday, sixth candidate Alison McGovern dropped out of the race and offered her backing to Ms Phillipson, saying the “momentum of this contest had shifted”.

The prospect of a contested election threatens to overshadow Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September, with some seeing it as a referendum on the Prime Minister’s leadership.

But neither Ms Phillipson nor Ms Powell has so far been openly critical of Sir Keir Starmer, while other candidates had explicitly called for a change of direction.

Despite being sacked by Sir Keir last week, Ms Powell said she had been “proud” to serve in government when announcing her candidacy, while Ms Phillipson said she would “unite the party, take the fight to Reform, and deliver for our country”.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir continued his shake-up of Downing Street, giving his outgoing head of policy delivery Liz Lloyd a peerage and a ministerial job in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the Department for Business and Trade.