The hopefuls in Labour’s deputy leadership race are frantically trying to secure the backing of enough MPs in order to reach the next round of the contest.
Six candidates have so far declared their intention to stand in the contest to replace Angela Rayner as their party’s number two.
The vacancy has opened up due to Ms Rayner’s tearful resignation over a tax row.
Nominations opened on Tuesday and candidates have until 5pm on Thursday to secure the backing of 79 other Labour MPs in order to reach the next stage.
The truncated nomination period has led some MPs to accuse Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer of orchestrating a ‘stitch-up’.
The Prime Minister is also facing the prospect of the deputy leadership contest being used by candidates to air their grievances with his Government’s performance.
Here are the confirmed candidates so far…
Bridget Phillipson
Bridget Phillipson is MP for Houghton and Sunderland South
The 41-year-old is the Education Secretary and was one of the few Cabinet ministers to keep their role in last week’s reshuffle.
She has been MP for Houghton and Sunderland South since 2010, having previously worked in local government and for her mother’s domestic abuse charity.
Ms Phillipson grew up in a council house in Washington, Tyne and Wear, which had no upstairs heating and was often burgled. She never met her father.
She has previously spoken of how her mother and grandparents saved up for her to take drama lessons because she was ‘too shy to speak’ as a child.
This led to her becoming an extra in TV’s Byker Grove, while she also learned to play the violin before going on to study at Oxford University.
Announcing her bid to be Labour’s deputy leader, she said: ‘As a proud working-class woman from the North East, I have come from a tough council street all the way to the Cabinet.
‘I will be a strong voice to unite our party, take the fight to Reform, and deliver for our country.’
Ms Phillipson, pictured while a schoolgirl, appeared as an extra in TV’s Byker Grove and also learned to play the violin before going on to study at Oxford University
Lucy Powell
Lucy Powell is MP for Manchester Central
The 50-year-old was sacked as Leader of the House of Commons by Sir Keir in last week’s reshuffle.
In May, Ms Powell was forced to issue an apology following claims she ‘belittled’ rape survivors with her comments about grooming gangs.
She sparked fury by suggesting during a radio show that group-based child abuse was a ‘dog whistle’ issue.
Ms Powell has been MP for Manchester Central since 2012 and has spent her entire career working in and around politics.
She was a shadow minister under both Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Keir when Labour were in opposition.
She was previously Ed Miliband’s deputy chief of staff when he was Labour leader and, prior to that, worked for the pro-EU pressure group Britain in Europe.
She is being tipped for Labour’s deputy leadership by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who wants a northern voice in the role.
Ms Powell was born in Moss Side, Manchester and attended Oxford University.
Speaking of her deputy leadership bid, she said: ‘Living with my family in my home city, Manchester, has rooted my politics in an understanding of people’s everyday hopes and fears.
‘These are the experiences our MPs and party members hear too.
‘As our deputy leader, I would ensure these are at the heart of what we do and how we operate, bringing together all parts of the party and uniting our broad voter coalition.’
Bell Ribeiro-Addy
Bell Ribeiro-Addy is MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill
The 40-year-old is the deputy leadership candidate being backed by her fellow members of Labour’s Left-wing ‘Socialist Campaign Group’.
She has previously described herself as a ‘black working-class woman, Christian and lifelong socialist’.
Ms Ribeiro-Addy was born in Streatham, south London, and represents the area as MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill.
After attending the University of Bradford and Queen Mary University, London, she went on to work for the National Union of Students.
She is also a former adviser to veteran MP Diane Abbott, when Ms Abbott was shadow home secretary.
After entering Parliament at the 2019 general election, Ms Ribeiro-Addy was shadow immigration minister under Mr Corbyn’s leadership of Labour.
In her maiden speech in the House of Commons, she called for Britain to offer a ‘form of reparations’ to African countries over the slave trade.
She said she is standing for deputy leader ‘because I believe this Labour Government urgently needs to go back to the guiding values of our party and movement, and deliver an ambitious programme of popular, progressive policies’.
Dame Emily Thornberry
Dame Emily Thornberry is MP for Islington South and Finsbury
The 65-year-old has been MP for Islington South and Finsbury since 2005 and previously served as a shadow minister under both Mr Miliband and Mr Corbyn.
She was looked over for a Cabinet job when Labour won last year’s general election. This was despite her being Sir Keir’s shadow attorney general up until polling day.
At the weekend, Dame Emily delivered a withering assessment of Sir Keir’s performance as PM so far.
‘Domestically things just don’t seem to be working,’ she told the BBC.
She also warned Labour ‘can’t afford’ to keep making mistakes due to the threat of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, and accused the Government of ‘not listening’.
Dame Emily has revealed how, when her father walked out when she was aged seven, the family lost their home and had to survive on free school meals and food parcels.
Her mother even had the family’s cats put down as they moved into a council house and began claiming benefits.
She studied law at the University of Kent before becoming a barrister.
In 2011, Dame Emily was forced to resign from Mr Miliband’s shadow cabinet during campaigning for the Rochester and Strood by-election.
It came after she tweeted a picture of a terraced house with three England flags and a white van parked outside.
The resident of the house, Dan Ware, branded her a ‘snob’ over the social media post, while political opponents said she had ‘sneered’ at local residents.
Announcing her candidacy for Labour’s deputy leadership, Dame Emily gave her support for the imposition of a ‘wealth tax’.
‘We fought hard for a Labour Government. But we’ve made mistakes and must listen,’ she said.
‘Welfare. Gaza. Wealth tax. Changes to come on SEND. I will be a voice for the membership, unions, PLP, and our constituents – not just nod along.’
Alison McGovern
Alison McGovern is MP for Birkenhead
The 44-year-old is a minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
She has taken on the new role after being moved from being employment minister in the Department for Work and Pensions in last week’s reshuffle.
Ms McGovern was born in Merseyside and was first elected to the Commons as MP for Wirral South in 2010.
She now represents the Birkenhead constituency following the redrawing of electoral boundaries ahead of last year’s general election.
Prior to entering Parliament, she worked for Network Rail and was a local councillor in Southwark, London.
Shortly after she became an MP, she became a parliamentary private secretary to former prime minister Gordon Brown.
She is viewed as a ‘Blairite’ in the party and was appointed as chair of Progress, the think tank associated with New Labour, in 2015.
As she announced her deputy leadership bid, Ms McGovern said: ‘Our country faces a huge threat from the dark forces of right-wing populism.
‘We will only defeat that threat by giving people real hope and pride in our diverse country.
‘And by fighting for those things that unite, not divide, us all: the right to a home, a job and to feel part of this country.
‘I believe I can shape our story, communicating our values in a way that resonates across the Labour family and with the public.’
Paula Barker
Paula Barker is MP for Liverpool Wavertree
The 53-year-old has been MP for Liverpool Wavertree since 2019 having previously worked in local government and as a trade unionist.
She was a shadow minister under Sir Keir but resigned from Labour’s front bench in November 2023 in order to vote for an SNP motion demanding a Gaza ceasefire.
Ms Barker is a co-sponsor of the assisted dying legislation currently going through Parliament.
As she announced her deputy leadership bid, she said: ‘One of the reasons I have taken the decision to run is that I am worried about the lack of geographical and political diversity at the top of our party.
‘We are a pluralist party at our heart, and we cannot keep moving away from that.
‘Having spend almost 30 years in public service and 20 years representing colleagues as a trade union official – I believe as a party we have stepped too far away from traditional Labour principles.’
