Lucy Powell: Who is Labour’s new deputy leader?

Lucy Powell has defeated Cabinet Secretary Bridget Phillipson in the race to replace Angela Rayner as Labor deputy leader.

The former leader of the House of Commons has long been seen as more of a challenger to the status quo in the Labor Party than his rival.

While both candidates promised to spend more time listening to members of the party, Ms Powell, who was sacked as a minister in a reshuffle following Ms Rayner’s resignation a few months ago, was seen as more of a “change” candidate than her rival Ms Phillipson.

His victory is likely to be seen as a call from Labor members for a new direction, amid growing unhappiness with Sir Keir Starmer’s government.

Ms Powell, who says her politics were shaped by growing up in the North under Margaret Thatcher, is seen as being on the party’s “soft left” and, as she launched her leadership bid, vowed to encourage the prime minister to pursue “bold policies based on progressive Labor values”.

The daughter of a social worker and a headteacher, Lucy Powell was born and raised in Manchester; She was elected MP in 2012 and has remained there ever since, currently living there with her husband, an A&E doctor.

Mother of two, lifelong Manchester City supporter; a detail that sparked criticism after it was revealed that he had accepted free football tickets to watch his team play during last year’s Labor freebies scandal.

During the campaign, he openly criticized “unforced errors” on welfare and winter fuel payments and warned Labor members felt “disconnected” from the government.

With some welfare rebels, such as York Central MP Rachael Maskell, also being suspended from the parliamentary party following the welfare rebellion, Ms Powell also made clear she believed they should be allowed back.

Notably, Ms Powell also used her campaign platform to criticize the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s guidance on transgender issues, which was published in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on biological sex and was criticized by trans 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.

he said Independent She made it clear last week that she has always fought for women’s rights but sees “there is absolutely no contradiction in fighting for those things” but that I also support the trans community and trans people who are the most marginalized, outcast in society, suffering greatly from mental health and homelessness.

These points of contention with the government mean she could be a source of trouble for Sir Keir, at least at first. Ms. Powell insisted she was not seeking division or opposition.

Instead, he called for “an important conversation about how we can get better, because we need to be” and warned that “the stakes are very high.”