Candidates for Labour's deputy leadership face a final scramble for nominations as the Thursday deadline approaches. Only Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has secured enough backing to advance, while the contest appears set to become a two-horse race.
Phillipson sailed past the required threshold with 116 nominations by Wednesday evening, continuing to gather support following virtual hustings. She said she was "honoured to have the backing of such a breadth of colleagues" as momentum built behind her campaign.
Former Commons leader Lucy Powell appears likely to join Phillipson in the second round, sitting just three nominations short of the 80 required. The two Cabinet-level politicians have emerged as the clear frontrunners in the leadership battle.
The remaining three candidates trail significantly behind in the nomination race. Left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy holds third place with 15 nominations, followed by Liverpool Wavertree's Paula Barker on 14 and Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry on 13.
Sixth candidate Alison McGovern dropped out on Wednesday and endorsed Phillipson, saying the "momentum of this contest had shifted". Candidates have until 5pm Thursday to secure the crucial 80 MP nominations needed to advance.
Conference concerns
The prospect of a contested election threatens to overshadow Labour's annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September. Some observers describe the deputy leadership contest as a referendum on Prime Minister Keir Starmer's (Labour) leadership direction.
However, neither frontrunner has openly criticised Starmer's approach to leading the party. Despite being sacked by the Prime Minister last week, Powell said she had been "proud" to serve in government when announcing her candidacy.
Phillipson positioned herself as a unifying figure, promising to "unite the party, take the fight to Reform, and deliver for our country". Other candidates have been more explicit in calling for a change of direction from the current leadership.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
