Lucy Powell emerged victorious in the Labour Party’s deputy leadership election, advocating for a change in direction. She garnered 87,407 votes from party members and affiliates, surpassing her competitor Bridget Phillipson, who received 73,536 votes. The voter turnout of 16.6% from the 970,642 eligible voters signals a lack of enthusiasm among party supporters for the current trajectory.
Following her dismissal from Sir Keir’s Cabinet in September, Powell expressed her intention to steer clear of a government role to freely address the party’s direction. Criticizing Labour’s approach towards Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, she emphasized the party’s need to set its own agenda rather than mimicking the opposition.
In her post-election remarks, Powell emphasized the importance of reclaiming the political narrative and addressing the country’s issues from a different perspective than Farage. The Prime Minister congratulated Powell on her win, praising her as an “incredible” Deputy Leader and expressing readiness to collaborate on driving the changes sought by the British populace.
Powell, who won her first parliamentary seat in a 2012 by-election, becomes the fourth woman to hold the position of Labour Party deputy leader, following in the footsteps of Margaret Beckett, Harriet Harman, and Angela Rayner. Rayner, in her resignation statement, underlined the necessity for boldness in Labour’s actions and reaffirmed her commitment to instigate positive transformations.
Rayner recently relinquished her roles as Housing Secretary, Deputy PM, and Labour’s deputy leader after a tax-related controversy involving her seaside property. The PM’s ethics chief confirmed her breach of rules by underpaying stamp duty on the property in East Sussex.
