Lucy Powell dismisses ‘ridiculous’ claims she would bring division to Labour

Lucy Powell has described claims by her Labour deputy leadership rival that she would bring division and disunity as “ridiculous”.

Last week, fellow candidate Bridget Phillipson suggested in a post on X that a vote for her rival could lead to more “distractions, infighting and noise”.

Ms Powell dismissed suggestions she could put Labour back on the road to opposition as “a slightly ridiculous claim,” telling the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme she could help the party “reach back” into communities and make better decisions.

Ms Powell, who was sacked as Commons leader last month, said Labour needs to “tell a much stronger story” about the purpose of this Government.

She told the programme: “I want this Government to succeed.

“I’ve worked incredibly hard and loyally as a Labour frontbencher and member of the government for the last few months as well.

“I think we can be more successful if we are a better version of ourselves, if we draw in all the voices from our broad movement that are connected to our community.

“Communities will make better decisions, because we can’t sugar-coat this.

“We can’t just pretend everything’s going great and what we need is just more of the same.”

The ballot for the contest between Education Secretary Ms Phillipson and Ms Powell opens on Wednesday, with the result announced on October 25.

Ms Powell said: “I’m not going to snipe from the sidelines but I think I can help the Labour Government to reach back to its communities, back through its movement, which is our great strength, to make sure of including those broad voices.

“I think when you have a narrower and narrower group of people making decisions that are not connected to the communities that we are here to serve, that is when mistakes are made.

“I think that we have got to tell a much stronger story about the purpose of this Labour Government.

“Whose side are we on and in whose interests are we governing?”

She vowed to help the Government make “much better decisions and that we stick to our manifesto pledges, that we’re really clear about the principles of this Labour Government”.

This would include movement on the two-child benefit cap, which Ms Powell said she wanted to see “lifted urgently, because I think that speaks to who we are, what our values are”.

Former home secretary Alan Johnson has backed Ms Phillipson, describing her as “one of Labour’s star performers” who would “help tell a better story” about the party’s achievements.

Mr Johnson, a former education secretary, said Ms Phillipson had “excelled” in “one of the most difficult cabinet roles”.

He said: “We need a deputy leader who will show voters how this Government will improve their lives, as well as tell a better story about Labour’s historic mission towards the abolition of poverty and greater equality.

“Already, in one of the most difficult cabinet roles, she has excelled and I back Bridget to bring together the coalition of voters currently drifting both left and right who could form the bedrock of the next Labour election victory.”