Why Lucy Powell could be a problem for Starmer as deputy Labour leader
The Labour left may have failed but the election could still be a referendum on No 10
Bridget Phillipson has stormed through the first round of Labour’s deputy leadership election, having scooped up the lion’s share of pledges from her fellow MPs.
The Education Secretary has, either by design or by accident, become the de facto Downing Street candidate in the race to succeed Angela Rayner, and the strength of her support reflects that of the Labour intake that entered power in 2024.
But MPs believe that her seamless ride onto the final ballot may not necessarily be translated into overall victory once the election goes to the wider membership.
Allies insist that Phillipson commands strong support among members, with a recent poll for grassroots site Left Foot Forward showing her favourability rating was well ahead of her rivals.
But her framing as No 10’s preferred choice, warranted or not, could be her undoing when it comes to a party membership agitating to give the leadership a kicking.
This could all be to the benefit of Lucy Powell, who secured the backing of enough MPs on Thursday to ensure the deputy leadership race did not become a coronation.
It was telling that fellow candidate Paula Barker, who is closer to the Left of the party, chose to throw her weight behind Powell after she withdrew from the race on Thursday.
Powell, who was sacked as Leader of the House of Commons in Sir Keir Starmer’s reshuffle, is likely to be framed as the anti-government choice for members, who are unhappy with the way the party and the Government is being run.
As one MP said in Westminster this week, Downing Street will be forced to throw all of its weight behind Phillipson in a bid to get her elected, or else hand Powell, and, more worryingly for Starmer, Greater Manchester Metro Mayor Andy Burnham, a foothold in the party machine.
Burnham, who has backed Powell for the deputy leadership, has already begun to flex his muscles in recent weeks, increasing his criticism of the way the Downing Street operation has been functioning as it lurches from crisis to crisis.
Should Powell see off her rival for the deputy leadership crown come October, it will give her a bigger voice to hold the Government to account.
But more importantly it will hand Burnham – viewed by many in the party as the “prince over the water” – an entry point for his own leadership ambitions.
