Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell to seek union backing in Labour deputy race

The Labour deputy leadership contest is entering its next stage as Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell seek nominations from constituency parties and affiliated unions.

The Education Secretary and the recently sacked Commons leader were the only candidates to secure enough support from fellow MPs to make it past the first round in the race to succeed Angela Rayner, who quit over her tax affairs.

Backbencher Bell Ribeiro-Addy was knocked out after she failed to get the required 80 nominations from Labour MPs.

Ms Phillipson picked up 175 nominations, Ms Powell 117 and Ms Ribeiro-Addy 24, according to the final tally after Thursday evening’s deadline.

The two final contenders have a deadline of 1pm on Friday to submit statements for circulation to constituency parties and affiliates, with nominations opening on Saturday.

They have to secure the support of 5% of constituency parties or at least three affiliates, including at least two affiliated trade unions.

The ballot for candidates who clear the nomination hurdles will open on October 8 and close at noon on October 23, with the winner announced on October 25.

The contest threatens to overshadow Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September.

It is seen by some as a referendum on the Prime Minister’s leadership, which has come under pressure amid the loss of two of his Government’s household names – Ms Rayner and Lord Mandelson – within a week.

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

The three other MPs who had initially thrown their hat in the ring struggled to get near the threshold and dropped out before nominations closed.

They were Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry, backbencher Paula Barker and housing minister Alison McGovern.