Lucy Powell elected as new Deputy Labour Leader following Cabinet sacking

Lucy Powell has been elected as the new Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, after defeating Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson with 54% of the vote.

Powell, who is from Moss Side, Manchester, was elected following the resignation of Angela Rayner last month.

Her election victory has been seen by some as a blow to Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer, due to the fact that he sacked Powell from his cabinet in September. She had previously served as Leader of the House of Commons.

The Conservatives describe Powell’s victory as “another defeat of the Prime Minister’s authority.”

Powell indicated today that she would refuse a return to a government role so she can speak openly about the party’s direction. She says she believes Labour need to give their members a “stronger sense of purpose”, adding that the party must “offer the big change the country is crying out for.”

She went on to criticise the party’s approach toward Reform UK and Nigel Farage, describing the party’s approach as “not being bold enough”, and warned the party against shifting towards the right, stating that “we won’t win by trying to out-Reform Reform.”

Starmer congratulated his new deputy, describing her as “a proud defender of Labour values.”

Powell, unlike her predecessor Rayner, will not sit as Deputy Prime Minister. Justice Secretary David Lammy will remain in that role, having been appointed in September.

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©House of Commons/Laurie Noble