Labour’s infighting stepped up a gear today as Bridget Phillipson entered the deputy leader contest.
The Education Secretary confirmed she is running to replace Angela Rayner and ‘unite our great party’.
The move makes Ms Phillipson the de facto Downing Street candidate for the role. And it lines up a potential clash with former Cabinet colleague Lucy Powell, who has been backed by Andy Burnham – often seen as a successor to Keir Starmer.
Nominations open today, with hopefuls needing to gain support from at least 80 MPs before 5pm on Thursday.
Ms Phillipson said: ‘I am a proud working-class woman from the north east. I have come from a single parent family on a tough council street, all the way to the Cabinet, determined to deliver better life chances for young people growing up in our country.
‘I’ve taken on powerful vested interests in the education sector – and even as they threw everything at me, I have never taken a backwards step. I will bring that same determination to every battle ahead of us.
‘Because make no mistake: we are in a fight. We all know the dangers Reform poses our country.
‘But not only am I ready for it: I’ve proven we can do it. I’ve shown we can beat Farage in the north-east, while staying true to the Labour Party’s values of equality, fairness and social justice.
‘With me as deputy leader we will beat them right across the country and unite to deliver the opportunity that working people across this great country deserve.’
As a Cabinet minister, Ms Phillipson risks embarrassment if she loses out to a backbencher. She was stripped of the skills element of her brief in the reshuffle on Friday, although that could have been in preparation for her pitch to become deputy.
Ms Powell was sacked as Commons Leader by Sir Keir.
The successful candidate will replace Ms Rayner as deputy Labour leader but not as deputy PM, a position which has been handed to Justice Secretary Mr Lammy.
Greater Manchester mayor Mr Burnham heaped praise on Ms Powell – whose constituency is in the city – at the weekend.
Touring broadcast studios this morning, Wes Streeting said he would ‘certainly prefer’ the next deputy leader to be a woman.
Asked on Times Radio whether it should be a woman from the north of England, he said: ‘Without being disrespectful to some brilliant women in London who are standing, like Emily Thornberry, who I’ve got lots of respect for, I can well understand why lots of my colleagues are saying we should have a deputy leader from outside London to broaden perspectives.’
He said that the Cabinet was already drawn from ‘right across the whole of the United Kingdom’.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy became the first person to officially throw her hat in the ring last night – although it is unclear whether the Left can garner enough numbers to get her on the ballot.
‘I look forward to explaining why, over the three short and undemocratic days we have to do so,’ she said.
The Clapham and Brixton Hill was recently removed from a trade envoy job as punishment for voting against the Government’s welfare reforms.
Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry has indicated she is thinking about a bid, but like both Sir Keir and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy she represents a north London constituency which could count against her.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and former Cabinet minister Louise Haigh have ruled themselves out of the running, while Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy is also not expected to run.
Labour veteran Baroness Harriet Harman said the role should be filled by a woman from outside London.
The former deputy leader said that the party needs someone who is ‘complementary to the leader’ and who will ‘broaden the reach of the leader and galvanise the party’, in comments to BBC Radio 4’s Today.
Nominations open on Tuesday, with a hustings on Wednesday as part of the fast-tracked election process.
In the first stage, candidates have to secure nominations from 80 MPs – a fifth of the total on the Labour benches – by 5pm on Thursday.
They will then have to secure the support of 5 per cent of constituency parties or at least three affiliates – including at least two affiliated trade unions.
The ballot for candidates who clear the nomination hurdles will open on October 8 and close at noon on October 23, with the result announced on October 25.
Labour’s annual conference starts on September 28 and is likely to be used as a key moment in the campaign, potentially causing problems for Sir Keir as candidates set out rival visions for the party.
