🔗 Share this article

Lucy Powell has secured the win in the Labour deputy leadership election, beating out her challenger Bridget Phillipson.

Ballot Details and Winner

Formerly the Commons leader before being replaced in a early autumn reorganization, was widely considered the leading candidate during the contest. She garnered 87,407 votes, representing 54% of the total ballots, while Phillipson earned 73,536. Turnout stood at 16.6%.

The decision was declared on Saturday following a vote that many regarded as a indicator for party supporters on Labour's direction under its current leadership. Phillipson, the minister for education, was considered the preferred choice of government circles.

Common Policy Positions

Each candidate called for the abolition of the two-child benefit cap, a policy that provoked a insurgency in parliament soon after Labour took power and is largely disliked among the party base.

Powell's Victory Address

During her winning remarks spoken in front of the party leader and the home secretary, Powell hinted at government shortcomings and remarked that Labour had lacked strength against Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.

She asserted, “We won't win by attempting to outdo Reform.”

She encouraged the leadership to pay attention to party members and elected representatives, a number of whom have had the whip withdrawn since the party took control for rebelling on issues such as welfare spending and the two-child benefit cap.

“Our members and elected representatives are not a flaw, they’re our primary resource, delivering change on the ground,” Powell noted. “Unity and loyalty come from shared goals, not from authoritarian rule. Arguing, attending and comprehending is not rebellion. It’s our advantage.”

She added: “We have to offer optimism, to provide the big transformation the country is calling for. We need to express a more definite feeling of our purpose, who we represent, and of our ideals and tenets. That’s what I’ve heard plainly and audibly throughout the land in recent weeks.”

She further noted: “While we’re accomplishing many positive things … voters sense that this government is lacking courage in executing the sort of reform we pledged. I intend to fight for our party ideals and courage in all our actions.

“It begins with us reclaiming the public discourse and establishing the focus more forcefully. Because in truth, we’ve permitted Farage and his ilk to dominate it.”

She stated: “Division and hate are on the rise, discontent and disillusionment prevalent, the demand for reform urgent and evident. People are searching to other sources for answers, and we as the Labour party, as the party of government, must step forward and address this.

“We have this major moment to prove that progressive, mainstream politics can indeed improve living conditions for the better.”

Reaction from Leader and Party Difficulties

The party leader greeted Powell’s success, and recognized the challenges confronting Labour, a day after the party was defeated in the Welsh parliament to a rival party.

He referred to a statement made by a Conservative MP who last weekend claimed she believed “a large number of people” living legally in the UK should have their right to stay withdrawn and “go home” to produce a more “culturally coherent group of people”.

The leader remarked it showed that the Conservatives and Reform aimed to lead Britain to a “very dark place”.

“Our job, regardless of position in this party, is to bring together every single person in this country who is against that politics, and to beat it, for good.

“This week we received another reminder of just how crucial that mission is. A disappointing performance in Wales. I accept that, but it is a cue that people need to observe their surroundings and observe improvement and regeneration in their neighborhood, prospects for the young, restored public services, the cost-of-living crisis tackled.”

Contest Background and Participation

The outcome was tighter than anticipated; a recent opinion survey had indicated Powell would receive 58% of ballots cast. The voter engagement of 16.6% was markedly lower than the last deputy leadership election in 2020, which saw 58.8%.

Party members and union associates constituted the 970,642 people able to cast ballots.

The contest grew increasingly contentious over the last six weeks. Recently, Powell was described as “the Momentum candidate” and Phillipson spoke to the press saying her rival would lose the election for Labour.

The vote was initiated after the previous deputy leader resigned last month when she was determined to have paid too little stamp duty on a property purchase.

Speaking in parliament this week – the first time she had done so since stepping down following a report by the prime minister’s ethics adviser – the former deputy leader told MPs she would pay “any taxes owed”.

Unlike her predecessor, Powell will not be appointed deputy prime minister, with the position having already been given to another senior figure.

Powell is seen as being tightly connected with the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, who was alleged to have launching a leadership bid in all but name before the party’s last gathering.

Over the election period, Powell often referenced “missteps” made by the party on issues such as the winter fuel allowance.