Emily Thornberry has withdrawn from the race to become Labour’s deputy leader, leaving Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and former Commons leader Lucy Powell poised to contest the party’s key internal election.
Thornberry, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee, announced her decision on Thursday morning, saying it had been a "privilege" to stand. Her departure removes a candidate who had attracted 13 MP backers and narrows the field as the deadline for nominations looms.
By 7pm on Wednesday, Phillipson had secured 116 nominations from Labour MPs, comfortably above the 80 required to progress to the next stage. Powell was three short of the threshold, with 77 nominations, making it likely she will reach the required backing before nominations close at 5pm BST on Thursday.
Other candidates were further behind. Left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy had 15 nominations, Paula Barker of Liverpool Wavertree had 14, and Thornberry had 13 at the latest count. Alison McGovern, who had also been standing, withdrew earlier in the week and publicly offered her support to Phillipson, saying the momentum of the contest had shifted.
Powell, who was sacked from the shadow cabinet by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer last week, has said she was "proud" to have served in government. Phillipson, a member of Starmer’s Cabinet, has sought to present herself as a unifying candidate, saying she would "unite the party, take the fight to Reform, and deliver for our country." Neither Phillipson nor Powell has been openly critical of Starmer’s leadership, while other candidates in the contest have called for a change of direction.
The deputy leadership contest — which will only go to a full ballot of party members if more than one candidate reaches the MP nomination threshold — is taking place against the backdrop of Labour’s annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September. Party figures and commentators have warned that a contested election could overshadow the gathering and be interpreted by some as a referendum on Starmer’s leadership.
Under party rules, candidates must secure the support of at least 80 Labour MPs to proceed to the membership ballot. With nominations set to close Thursday afternoon, the likely scenario is a two‑candidate contest between Phillipson and Powell, though final numbers will be confirmed when the nominations window shuts.
Labour officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The party is expected to announce which candidates have progressed once nominations are verified after the deadline.