We must turn Labour around, deputy leadership frontrunner Lucy Powell warns Keir Starmer as she demands he restore whip to welfare rebels
Lucy Powell has issued a major challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s authority, insisting she will force the prime minister to rethink the direction of the party in a bid to save Labor from dismal poll numbers.
The Manchester Central MP is seen as the frontrunner in the leadership race against education minister Bridget Phillipson; Voting will end on Thursday and the results will be announced on Saturday.
To talk Independent, While Ms. Powell insisted on Saturday morning that if she was declared the winner, her mandate would be that “we have to make some changes to the way we operate”, she admitted the party “hasn’t been in control of the agenda… we’ve made some mistakes, we’ve made some missteps”.
He said the leadership had failed to listen to MPs, particularly over the welfare revolt that shook the government before the summer, which he believes was a major factor in him losing his cabinet job.
“It wasn’t me [happy about the welfare cuts]and I reported that there were problems with that and that it would be a real challenge. I suggested solutions and ways forward and all of that. “If that’s why I got fired, so be it,” he said.
But after her rival said she had the advantage as part of the cabinet, Ms Powell insists she will refuse to stand aside and will take an active role in efforts to save the party.
“This is not an in-or-out-of-the-tent election. I’ll be at the top of the Labor Party. I’ll be in all the conversations. I’ll be deputy leader of the party. I think it’s more about what you bring to the table than whether you’re at the table or not.”
“I will definitely be involved in trying to turn things around for the Labor Party.”
The co-leadership contest was triggered by Angela Rayner’s resignation following a row over her tax affairs.
Ms Powell, who was sacked as minister just months ago, is seen as more of a “change” candidate than her rival Phillipson. He is seen to be on the “soft left” of the party, promising to encourage the prime minister to pursue “bold policies based on progressive Labor values” as he launched his leadership bid.
During the campaign, he openly criticized “forced errors” on benefits and winter fuel payments.
With some welfare rebels, such as York Central MP Rachael Maskell, also being suspended from the parliamentary party following the welfare rebellion, Ms Powell made clear she believed they should be allowed back.
“Losing the whip is something that should only be done in extreme cases,” he said. “In my opinion, this is not a device that should be used very often. And I would like to see the whip returned to the people who lost it.”
Ms Powell criticized the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance on transgender issues, which was published following the Supreme Court decision on biological sex and has been criticized by transgender campaigners.
He believes the problem is one in which Labor has been influenced by the culture wars waged by the Conservatives, Reform and right-wing media.
“I have made it clear throughout my political career and throughout my life that I am a feminist. I support all women’s rights, gender equality, women’s safety, all these issues, and I will not stop doing that.”
“But to me, I see absolutely no contradiction in fighting for these things, while at the same time making it clear that I support the trans community and the trans people who are the most marginalized, outcast, in society, who suffer greatly from mental health and homelessness.”
His seat in the North West is at the heart of a region where Reform Britain is threatening to take the UK by storm, but he would like to see fewer attempts to match Reform rhetoric on immigration and the culture wars.
“Reform, you can’t beat Reform. We need to be really, really clear about what our broad coalition of voters is, because Reform, when you try Reform, you always lose.”
He also warned that if Labor did not appeal to left-wing voters, it would lose voters to the Greens and Jeremy Corbyn’s Your Party.
“I’m the only person in this race who’s really talking about our left wing and how we need to rebuild this broader coalition of voters,” he said.
“When you see Reform winning seats, sometimes there’s a direct switch from Labor to Reform, sometimes Labor voters go elsewhere and Reform comes through the middle.”
Meanwhile, Ms. Powell has also made clear that she wants to see a Budget on November 26 that “has a powerful story to tell about justice and how we restructure the country to benefit the many, not the few.”
He warned: “We need to be much clearer about the urgency and principles of removing the two-child benefit limit, because if we want to see child poverty levels fall in this parliament, we need to do it urgently.
“This is about telling a much, much stronger story about justice and tackling these deep inequities that exist.”
Speaking about the current direction of the party, Ms Powell said: “There is a disconnect with our communities and our movement is the bridge between us and our communities and that is obvious.
“I mean, it’s not disloyal for me to say that our poll ratings are the lowest they’ve ever been. We made some mistakes, we made some missteps. We couldn’t control the agenda and we couldn’t really tell that story.”
