Lucy Powell elected as Labour's new deputy leader in huge blow for Keir Starmer

Lucy Powell has been elected as Labour's new deputy leader, beating Bridget Phillipson in a tight contest. The election result is likely to spell trouble for Sir Keir Starmer as Ms Powell will be free to speak out against his Government's policies from the back benches rather than being bound by collective responsibility like Education Secretary Ms Phillipson.

Ms Powell was sacked from Sir Keir's Cabinet in September and has indicated she will refuse a return to a government role so she can speak more openly about the direction of the party in office. She has insisted she wants to "help Keir and our Government to succeed" but the party "must change how we are doing things to turn things around".

Following her victory, Ms Powell declared: "We have to offer hope, to offer the big change the country is crying out for. We must give a stronger sense of our purpose, whose side we are on and of our Labour values and beliefs." She added that "people feel that this Government is not being bold enough in delivering the kind of change we promised".

In an apparent thinly veiled swipe at Sir Keir Starmer's approach to tackling Nigel Farage's Reform UK, she said: "It starts with us wrestling back the political megaphone and setting the agenda more strongly. Because 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."

The Manchester Central MP added: "We won't win by trying to out-Reform Reform, but by building a broad progressive consensus."

Sir Keir said: "Huge congratulations to Lucy Powell on being elected Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. 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.

I know Lucy will be an incredible Deputy Leader and help our Party be election ready so that our Labour Government can continue delivering the change working 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."

However, Kevin Hollinrake MP, Chairman of the Conservative Party, said: "Weak Keir Starmer has had the candidate he didn't want and who he fired last month imposed on him by the Labour Party. He didn't have the backbone to stand up to Lucy Powell on welfare spending before, he won't have the backbone stand up to Lucy Powell now.

"That means more unfunded welfare spending like reversing the two-child cap and higher taxes this autumn to pay for it. The failure of the Keir Starmer candidate, Bridget Philipson, is another defeat of the Prime Minister's authority.

"Phillipson should now get back to reversing all the damage she has done to England's education system."

Ms Powell was elected with 87,407 votes (54%), beating Bridget Phillipson who got 73,536 (46%).

The total number of eligible voters was 970,642 - but just 160,993 ballots were cast, a turnout of 16.6%.

The contest was forced by the resignation of Angela Rayner on September 5, 2025.

Ms Rayner's departure stemmed from an ethics probe that concluded she had underpaid stamp duty on her £800,000 Hove flat, breaching the ministerial code and prompting her to resign to take responsibility for the "honestly made mistake."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS STORY AND IS BEING UPDATED....