Cabinet minister Bridget Phillipson has successfully entered the race to replace Angela Rayner as Labour’s deputy leader. Phillipson garnered 116 endorsements from MPs, surpassing the required 80 nominations. Lucy Powell fell short by only three supporters, standing at 77.
In a significant development, Housing Minister Alison McGovern withdrew from the competition and threw her support behind Phillipson, citing her as the ideal candidate to unify the party. McGovern acknowledged the changing dynamics of the race and emphasized the importance of unity within the party. She expressed her commitment to advocating progressive ideals regardless of the election outcome to combat right-wing extremism and populism.
Emily Thornberry, Bell Ribeiro-Addy, and Paula Barker are vying for additional endorsements from MPs before the deadline on Wednesday at 5 pm. Thornberry had 13 nominations, Ribeiro-Addy secured 15, and Barker received support from 14 MPs by 7 pm on Wednesday.
The five female candidates are set to participate in an online hustings event to present their platforms to MPs on Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, former deputy leader Dame Margaret Beckett, the first woman to hold the position, shared her candid views on the role, describing it as challenging and demanding. Dame Margaret reflected on her past tenure and stressed the importance of building a cohesive leadership team to steer the party and the government in the right direction, emphasizing the need for constructive engagement over political games.
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