Six female Labour MPs have thrown their hats into the ring in the fast-tracked contest to replace Angela Rayner as deputy leader after her resignation last week
Six female Labour MPs have thrown their hats into the ring in the race to replace Angela Rayner as deputy leader.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson appeared to be an early frontrunner as she vowed there would be “no watering down” of workers’ rights reforms. Unions had expressed concern the changes championed by Ms Rayner could be diluted. In a well-timed appearance at the Trades Unions Congress conference – just hours after she declared she would run for deputy leader – Ms Phillipson said there will be “no watering down”.
The Houghton and Sunderland South MP told union delegates gathered in Brighton: “Let there be no doubt. One year ago we were elected to deliver this Employment Rights Bill and that is what we will do. In her bid to MPs, she added: “As a proud working-class woman from the North East, I have come from a tough council street all the way to the Cabinet.”
But Ms Phillipson risks being seen as Downing Street’s pick for the role of deputy leader at a time MPs are pressing the government to listen to them on issues such as a wealth tax,the two-child benefit limit, and Gaza.
She is vying against veteran Labour MP Dame Emily Thornberry, the recently sacked Cabinet minister Lucy Powell, housing minister Alison McGovern, and left-wing MPs Paula Barker and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who all joined the contest on Tuesday.
On Wednesday evening they will take part in a virtual hustings hosted by the party as they battle to reach Thursday’s stretching nomination threshold of at least 80 MPs in order to reach the members’ ballot paper.
Below is the full list of contenders – with nominations from MPs as of 6pm on Tuesday.
Bridget Phillipson
The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson vowed to “take the fight to Reform” as she announced her bid on Tuesday. She said: “As a proud working-class woman from the North East, I have come from a tough council street all the way to the Cabinet.” On Tuesday she topped a LabourList poll out of the candidates in terms of net favourability.
She has 44 nominations so far.
Dame Emily Thornberry
The chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Dame Emily Thornberry, who unexpectedly missed out on a job in Keir Starmer’s Cabinet last year, said on Tuesday: “We fought hard for a Labour government. But we’ve made mistakes and must listen.” She added: “Welfare. Gaza. Wealth tax. Changes to come on SEND [Special Educational Needs and Disabilities]. I will be a voice for the membership, unions, PLP, and our constituents – not just nod along.”
She has 7 nominations so far.
Alison McGovern
Birkenhead MP Alison McGovern, a Housing Minister, said Labour had to stand up to the “dark forces of right-wing populism”. She said: “As we enter the next phase of this government we need to quickly show that we have learned the lessons of our first year in office and waste no time in delivering on the promise of change that got us elected last year.”
She has 2 nominations so far.
Lucy Powell
The Manchester Central MP Lucy Powell, who lost her job as Commons leader in Keir Starmer’s reshuffle last week, said her politics were “rooted” in “an understanding of people’s everyday hopes and fears”. She said: “As our deputy leader, I would ensure these are at the heart of what we do and how we operate, bringing together all parts of the party and uniting our broad voter coalition.”
She has 35 nominations so far.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy
MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy – a former aide to Labour veteran Diane Abbott – said: “We are currently hemorrhaging votes to the Lib Dems, to the Greens, and ultimately all we seem to want to do at the moment is chase down Reform. And we cannot do that. We are not good at out-reforming Reform, but we can do so much at being Labour.” She also criticised the “unfair” fast-tracked process to elect a new deputy leader.
She has 8 nominations so far.
Paula Barker
Announcing her bid, Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker said: “We cannot fight Reform at their own game, nor should we want to. Instead we need to go back to our true Labour values, which means fighting for our public services, putting workers back at the heart of our agenda, and fulfilling our promise to prioritise people over profit.”
She has 3 nominations so far.