Two senior Labour figures, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and former Commons leader Lucy Powell, have emerged as the final contenders in the party's contest to replace deputy leader Angela Rayner.
Phillipson and Powell were left as the only candidates after several others withdrew and the deadline for MP nominations closed at 5pm on Thursday. Labour officials said the pair had met the threshold of 80 MP nominations required to progress and would now seek the necessary backing from constituency parties and affiliates over the weekend before the membership ballot.
Phillipson, a close ally of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, secured strong support among MPs, winning 116 nominations in figures published by Labour on Wednesday night. Powell, who was sacked by Starmer as Commons leader last week, had been reported to be just short of the 80-nomination threshold on Wednesday but was confirmed to have advanced as nominations closed.
The contest narrowed after a string of withdrawals. Dame Emily Thornberry said on Thursday that it had been a "privilege" to run and pulled out of the race. Paula Barker, who had 14 MP supporters, also withdrew and declared her support for Powell, saying the next deputy leader "must listen to the concerns of every section of our party and not be afraid to bring those challenges to the Government." Alison McGovern was the first candidate to drop out on Wednesday and offered her backing to Phillipson, saying "the momentum of this contest had shifted."
Left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy announced on social media that she had failed to reach the 80 nominations and criticised the process as "less than democratic," urging the party leadership to "be more Labour" and warning "we cannot out-Reform Reform." Ribeiro-Addy's withdrawal means some on the party's left will not be represented on the ballot, a point of contention among activists and MPs.
Powell has been publicly backed by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, a long-time political rival of Sir Keir who has been mentioned as a potential future challenger to the party leadership. Phillipson has been widely viewed within Westminster as Downing Street's de facto choice in the contest.
Both finalists have sought to cast themselves as unifying figures. Powell said she was "proud" to have served in government when announcing her candidacy, while Phillipson said she would "unite the party, take the fight to Reform, and deliver for our country." Neither candidate has mounted an open challenge to the direction set by Starmer, in contrast to some earlier entrants who argued for a change of course.
The deputy leadership election was triggered by Rayner's resignation after she admitted she had failed to pay enough tax on the purchase of a flat. The prospect of a contested deputy leadership vote risks overshadowing Labour's annual conference in Liverpool at the end of September, an event some have framed as a referendum on the prime minister's leadership.
Labour will publish official confirmation of the nominations and the candidate list following the verification process. The two names are expected to appear on the ballot paper sent to party members once the candidates secure the required additional support from constituency parties and affiliated organisations.
The party now moves into the next phase of the contest, as candidates seek to build support among rank-and-file members and affiliated voters ahead of the ballot, with the outcome set to shape Labour's internal balance and public messaging going into the conference and the coming parliamentary session.