Labour is pleasing no one by trying to ‘out-Reform Reform’, Powell says

Labour is “pleasing no one” by trying to “out-Reform Reform”, deputy leadership hopeful Lucy Powell has warned.

The former Commons leader urged Sir Keir Starmer’s Government to use its position in power to “set the terms of the debate” as she insisted the party needs a “course correction” to prevent losing votes left and right.

Freed from Cabinet collective responsibility, Ms Powell has pitched herself as an outside candidate who will be able to “speak truth to power” but insisted she was “not here to make life harder” for the Prime Minister.

Speaking at an event on the fringes of Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool, Ms Powell said: “We’re pleasing no one by on the one side trying to sort of out-Reform Reform, and then on the other side we’re kind of losing our more progressive voters to the left, and we see that in the polling figures.”

She added: “As the Government and as the Labour Party, we should be a lot clearer about setting the terms of the debate.”

Ms Powell criticised fellow deputy leadership candidate Bridget Phillipson after the Education Secretary suggested in a post on X that a vote for her rival could lead to more “distractions, infighting and noise”.

“I think that was quite an ill-advised post of hers to be honest,” the MP for Manchester Central said.

“Look, debate is not dissent. I think it’s perfectly reasonable, and actually one of the reasons I stood in this contest – people want to have a debate about whether we can be better than we are currently being.

“If people think everything’s going great and swimmingly, don’t vote for me.

“But if you think we need a course correction and can be a better version of ourselves, by including more voices, by being better connected to our communities… and by setting a much clearer narrative about our purpose and our motives and our authentic selves, then vote for me.

“But I don’t think I’m a divisive person in any way, shape or form. I’ve been a loyal person for a long time, but I am a person who is impatient to improve things.”

In a post on social media earlier on Tuesday, Ms Phillipson said: “Divided parties don’t win elections, so they can’t change our country.

“As your deputy leader, I will unite our party, put our values into action and deliver the change our country needs.”

Ms Phillipson and Ms Powell, who was sacked as Commons leader in a major Cabinet reshuffle earlier this month, are vying for the deputy leadership role vacated by Angela Rayner following her resignation over her tax affairs.

The Education Secretary has secured the support of two of the country’s largest trade unions, Unison and the GMB, while Ms Powell has the backing of the Communication Workers’ Union and Fire Brigades Union.

A deputy leadership hustings will take place on the final day of Labour’s conference in Liverpool on Wednesday.