Labour Voters Want New Deputy Leader To Focus On Fixing Public Services
3 min read
Labour voters want the party's new deputy leader to focus on fixing public services more than anything else, according to polling shared with PoliticsHome.
The finding comes as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and former House of Commons leader Lucy Powell go head-to-head to succeed Angela Rayner as Labour's deputy leader.
Earlier this month, Rayner resigned as deputy leader, as well as deputy prime minister and housing secretary, after being found to have breached the ministerial code over unpaid stamp duty.
The poll, carried out online by the Good Growth Foundation think tank in the week leading up to Labour Party conference, which got underway in Liverpool this weekend, shows that Labour voters want Phillipson and Powell to focus on "bread and butter" issues, according to think tank director Praful Nargrund.
Asked which attributes are most important for the new deputy leader to have, "prioritising fixing our public services" was the most popular response among those who voted Labour at last year's general election, with 59 per cent ranking it in their top three.
"Expertise in the economy and money" was the second most popular attribute, with 46 per cent of 2024 Labour voters ranking it in their top three.
When asked which aspects of someone’s identity or background are most important for the deputy leader to represent, "someone who speaks authentically to my concerns” came out on top (44 per cent).
While Phillipson secured more support from Labour MPs, as well as the backing of Labour's biggest affiliated trade unions, Powell came top in local party nominations with 286 compared to Phillipson's 165.
A Survation poll of Labour members for LabourList on the eve of the party's conference also gave Powell a 31 per cent lead over Phillipson among those likely to vote in the deputy leadership contest.
Powell was sacked by Keir Starmer as Commons leader in the September reshuffle, whereas Phillipson – a serving Cabinet minister – is seen as No 10's preferred choice to succeed Rayner.
Writing for The House this weekend, Phillipson stressed the importance of party unity, warning that "divided parties don't win elections" and that Labour cannot afford to "re-open old wounds".
"We can’t fight Reform if we are fighting each other. We can’t fight poverty if we are fighting each other. We must unite to win the future," she wrote.
In her own piece for The House, Powell sought to emphasise that her status as a backbench Labour MP means she is better-placed to criticise the Starmer government when it gets things wrong.
"I really want our Labour government to succeed, and sometimes that means speaking hard truths," the Manchester MP wrote, adding that she "won't be afraid to tell it like it is".
The result of the contest will be determined by Labour members, who will cast votes from Wednesday 8 October to Thursday 23 October. The winner will be announced on Saturday 25 October.
