The former leader of the Commons Lucy Powell secured 87,407 votes in the contest to succeed Angela Rayner, defeating Bridget Phillipson who earned 73,536 in a close contest
Lucy Powell is the new Labour deputy leader after a close victory over the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.
The former leader of the Commons secured 87,407 votes in the contest to succeed Angela Rayner, defeating Ms Phillipson who earned 73,536.
Victory for Ms Powell, who was sacked from the Cabinet in the reshuffle that followed Ms Rayner’s resignation last month, is expected to be seen as a call from the Labour membership for a change of direction from Keir Starmer ’s Government.
Speaking after her victory, she said: “Keir, as you set out in your conference speech a few weeks ago, we are now in the fight of our lives. And we really are.
“Not for ourselves and our fortunes, but for the future of the country and democracy.
“Division and hate are on the rise. Discontent and disillusionment widespread. The desire for change impatient and palpable. People are looking around, looking elsewhere for answers.
“We, as the Labour Party, as the Party of Government, have to step forward and take this head on. “We have this one big chance to show that progressive, mainstream politics really can change people’s lives for the better. That belief is why most of us joined the Labour Party in the first place.”
A total of 970, 642 voters were eligible, with 160, 993 voting, seeing a turnout of 16.6%
Ms Powell urged her party to offer “hope”, and deliver the “big change” the country desired.
Vowing to be an “ally” to the PM, she said: “It starts with us wrestling back the political megaphone and setting the agenda more strongly. Let’s be honest we’ve let Farage and his ilk run away with it. He wants to blame immigration for all the country’s problems. We reject that.
“Our diagnosis is different. That for too long the country and the economy has worked in the interests of the few, not the many. That trickle down economics hasn’t worked. Life has just got harder and harder, less and less secure – in work, in housing, in making ends meet.
“We say that the deep-seated inequalities that have widened, in wealth, in regions, in class, in health, need fundamentally redressing. That’s what we are about and that’s what we’re trying to fix.”
Responding, the PM passed on his congratulations, and claimed Ms Powell will be an “incredible” Deputy leader.
He said: “I look forward to continuing working with Lucy as my Labour Government continues to drive forwards the change the British people voted for last year.
“My Labour Government, and the entire Labour movement, will continue working at pace to deliver the patriotic renewal all corners of our country need – based on security, opportunity, and respect.”
Ms Powell was first elected as the MP for Manchester Central in a by-election in 2012. Her election as deputy leader marks the fourth time the Labour Party has elected a woman to this position, following Margaret Beckett, Harriet Harman, and Ms Rayner.
In her resignation statement in the Commons on Thursday, Ms Rayner has insisted Labour is best when it is “bold” as she vowed to “fight with everything I have” to change lives.
The former Deputy PM said while her title may have changed she will continue to bring determination, commitment and my socialist values” to the Commons.
Last month she was forced to resign as Housing Secretary, Deputy PM, and her elected position as Labour’s deputy leader, after admitting not paying enough stamp duty on her seaside home in Hove. The PM’s ethics chief Sir Laurie Magnus ruled she had broken the rules by underpaying the tax by £40,000 on the property in East Sussex.