3 h. ago Powell calls on Labour to show more ‘purpose’ after winning deputy leadership race

MP for Manchester Central beats education secretary Bridget Phillipson to secure influential role

Politics

7 h. ago DAN HODGES: Lucy Powell's Deputy Leadership victory sounds the death knell for Starmer. I know her well, and this is what she has planned for Labour and the country

Now it is only a matter of when, not if, he is removed as Prime Minister. And that's good news for Labour, and good news for Britain.

Politics

8 h. ago Lucy Powell's deputy Labour leadership will be different in one important way

Ms Powell could now be free to speak out against his Government’s policies from the back benches rather than being bound by collective responsibility like her rival

Politics

8 h. ago Lucy Powell's speech on 'huge privilege' to be elected Deputy Labour leader in full

The new deputy leader said: "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"

Politics

8 h. ago Blow for Starmer as sacked Cabinet minister Lucy Powell wins Labour deputy leader contest

Lucy Powell - who was sacked from the Cabinet by the PM just last month - saw off Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in the contest.

Politics

8 h. ago Lucy Powell wins Labour deputy leadership race to add to Starmer’s headaches

The Manchester Central MP was sacked from the Government by Sir Keir Starmer and will now be a prominent voice on the back benches.

Politics

8 h. ago Lucy Powell wins Labour Deputy Leadership contest and calls for party to offer 'hope'

The former leader of the Commons Lucy Powell secured 87,407 votes in the contest to succeed Angela Rayner, defeating Bridget Phillipson who earned 73,536 in a close contest

Politics

9 h. ago Labour’s new deputy leader to be announced – UK politics live

Polling suggests Lucy Powell enjoyed a healthy lead over Bridget Phillipson as voting closed on ThursdayThere will be no big event to mark the new deputy leader result on Saturday, just a camera in Labour HQ with the results and a short speech from the winner. Some of Lucy Powell’s backers are irritated by the low-key plan. There are fears that she may be in effect frozen out – and uncertainty over whether she would be able to do her own broadcast rounds or election organising. “They need to respect the mandate if she wins,” one ally said.Senior strategists had hoped five weeks ago to avoid a contest altogether, with a high threshold for MP nominations. Keir Starmer made appointments in the reshuffle for the party chair and the deputy prime minister, crowding out the role of deputy leader.This sounds like an operational error, but the buck has to stop somewhere, and it has to stop at the top, at the justice secretary, the home secretary and the prime minister.They have said that the...

Politics

54 h. ago Keir Starmer is 'out of touch' with Labour voters and must be clearer about party's 'purpose' says soft

Lucy Powell hit out at the Prime Minister in the lead-up to poll closing today in a deputy leadership election that could trigger a major new schism in Labour and see it tack even further to the left.

Politics

3 d. ago The EU was complicit in the war in Gaza. Trump's plan can't be an excuse to dodge responsibility now | Nathalie Tocci

Tiptoeing around Israel has cost Europe its credibility. It must exert meaningful pressure to ensure the horrors we have seen never happen againThe first phase of Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza has drawn a collective sigh of relief from European leaders. After two years of slaughter, the ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli military’s partial withdrawal from Gaza and humanitarian access to the territory offer hope – and unfortunately, an excuse for Europe to continue doing nothing.When it comes to the war in Gaza, unlike Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European governments have shown their worst colours. They are divided, and their political splits have led to policy paralysis. But worse than sitting on the sidelines hand-wringing, European governments and EU institutions in Brussels can be accused of complicity in Israel’s war crimes. They have been unwilling to exert any pressure on the perpetrators, while continuing economic, political and...

Politics

4 d. ago We must turn Labour around, deputy leadership frontrunner warns Starmer as she hits out at ‘mistakes’

Exclusive: Frontrunner for deputy leadership takes aim at PM over ‘mis-steps and mistakes’, saying she was sacked for opposing cuts and that the party must reconnect with lost voters - but not by copying Reform

Events

5 d. ago Labour deputy leadership contest may only cause more trouble for Starmer

Victory for Lucy Powell or Bridget Phillipson, the rivals at the centre of the race, could be reckoning for the party When Lucy Powell got a phone call from a withheld number in her constituency office in Manchester on the day Angela Rayner resigned, Powell told her staff: “This is me getting the sack.” Never would the former Commons leader have believed less than two months later that she might be on the brink of returning as Labour’s deputy leader.Her rival, Bridget Phillipson, also never expected to be in this position. Hurt by some of the internal briefing against her position as education secretary, she debated for more than a day whether to join the race at all. Being cast as the favoured candidate has not been comfortable. Continue reading...

Politics

6 d. ago Lucy Powell hits out at anonymous briefing in Labour deputy leadership race

Her opponent Bridget Phillipson said she had also been subjected to ‘vicious’ briefing.

Politics

7 d. ago HARRIET HARMAN: 'If Lucy Powell's elected Deputy I hope Keir Starmer will offer her a seat in the Cabinet'

'I think the party expects the person they elected as their deputy to be part of Labour’s top team in a Labour government', the former Deputy Leader of the Labour Party writes

Politics

1 week ago Budget must be ‘line in the sand’ after first year’s mistakes, says Powell

Labour deputy leadership hopeful Lucy Powell said it should give ‘a clear articulation of the core purpose of the Labour Government’.

Politics

2 w. ago Tory plan to abolish stamp duty ‘will benefit London and the wealthiest the most’ – UK politics live

The Social Market Foundation thinktank says council tax reform and a property-based tax would be more sustainable and fairerVoting in the Labour deputy leadership election opens today. Lucy Powell, the former Commons leader, is seen as the favourite and, as Jessica Elgot reports, Powell told supporters yesterday that, if she is elected, she will use the post to argue for changes in the way the government is operating. “We can’t sugarcoat the fact that things aren’t going well,” she said.Powell is no longer a government minister and, if she is elected deputy leader, she will do the job from the backbenches. In an interview on Newsnight last night, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary standing against Powell, said a Powell victory would be “destabilising” for the party. She said:[Electing Powell] risks destabilising the party we best achieve what we need to do together when we have those fierce conversations, including disagreements, behind closed doors.Members need to understa...

Politics

2 w. ago Tories would abolish stamp duty, Badenoch tells party conference – UK politics live

Party leader says measure is a ‘bad tax’ and scrapping it would free up the housing market and improve social mobilityVoting in the Labour deputy leadership election opens today. Lucy Powell, the former Commons leader, is seen as the favourite and, as Jessica Elgot reports, Powell told supporters yesterday that, if she is elected, she will use the post to argue for changes in the way the government is operating. “We can’t sugarcoat the fact that things aren’t going well,” she said.Powell is no longer a government minister and, if she is elected deputy leader, she will do the job from the backbenches. In an interview on Newsnight last night, Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary standing against Powell, said a Powell victory would be “destabilising” for the party. She said:[Electing Powell] risks destabilising the party we best achieve what we need to do together when we have those fierce conversations, including disagreements, behind closed doors.Members need to understand tha...

Politics

2 w. ago Frontrunner to be Starmer's Labour deputy admits 'things aren't going well' under his leadership and says the party cannot 'sugarcoat' failure

Lucy Powell, who was sacked as a minister by Sir Keir last month, hit out as voting opened in the race to become the party's deputy leader, saying his record should not be 'sugar-coated'.

Politics

2 w. ago Phillipson accuses Powell of ‘energising our opponents’ as voting begins

Ballots opened on Wednesday for members and affiliates in the Labour deputy leadership race.

Politics

2 w. ago Scientists develop first ‘accurate blood test’ to detect chronic fatigue syndrome

Research could offer hope for ME patients – but some experts urge caution and say more studies neededScientists say they have developed the world’s first blood test to diagnose myalgic encephalomyelitis, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).There is no currently no test for the condition and patients tend to be diagnosed based on symptoms, which means many can go undiagnosed for years. Continue reading...

Events