Why Labour’s deputy leader contest is a ‘complete nightmare’ for No. 10

Read time: 4 minutes

In brief:

• The Labour deputy leadership race requires candidates to secure 80 MP nominations by September 11th, then gain support from 5% of local party groups and trade union backing, with the winner announced October 25th after a membership vote.
• Confirmed candidates include Emily Thornberry, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and Bell Ribeiro-Addy. Potential candidates include David Lammy (already appointed Deputy PM), Lucy Powell, and Richard Burgon.
• The News Agents say the lengthy contest is a "complete nightmare for No. 10" as it will dominate the Labour party conference and force candidates to publicly criticise the failings of Starmer's government so far.

How does the deputy Labour leader contest work?

There is an Angela Rayner-shaped hole at the top of government - the big question is who will fill it.

The race to be deputy leader of the Labour party has begun, following Rayner’s sudden resignation from the role after admitting she failed to pay enough stamp duty on her Hove property.

Candidates only have until Thursday 11 September to gain the 80 nominations from MPs needed to get on the ballot and have a chance of being elected for the role. This means it is only possible for, at most, four MPs to ultimately be in the running.

Once they’ve got the 80 nominations, they then need to win the support of 5% of Constituency Labour parties, or local party groups, and at least three party affiliates, at least two of which must be trade unions.

“These rules were designed to ensure that you need pretty high levels of institutional backing,” Lewis Goodall explains on The News Agents.

“They were exactly designed post the Corbyn period to ensure that that would never happen again, either for the leadership or deputy leadership.”

If a candidate gets that far, they’ll appear on the ballot for a vote held by all party members and party affiliated, with the winner being announced on 25 October.

What does the contest mean for Keir Starmer and the Labour government?

Emily Maitlis describes the race as “an incredibly lengthy process,” - one that Labour could do without, as it could overshadow much of the Labour party conference, held between 28 September - 1 October, with hustings happening at the conference itself.

“If you want a symbol of Labour, carry on talking to itself, instead of acting as the party of government and talking to the rest of the country. Then that is how you do it,” Emily adds.

Lewis agrees that the race is a “complete nightmare for No. 10”, adding that candidates will be forced to vocalise what’s gone wrong for the government so far and battle it out during hustings at party conference.

“The Labour Party right now has got profound questions, existential questions, with the rise of Reform, about the future direction of the government and what has gone wrong so far”, Lewis says.

“Those conversations, of course, have been happening behind the scenes - but this contest, quite literally, licenses those conversations to be made public.

“There will be Hustings. The conference will be dominated by those questions, and you're going to have each particular candidate being asked repeatedly and scrutinising what the government has done so far and what the government might yet do,” Lewis adds.

So who has officially entered the race, who is rumoured to, and who do The News Agents think is in with a chance?

Emily Thornberry

Emily Thornberry didn’t get a role in the cabinet after Labour won the general election, despite being a part of the shadow cabinet. But does the Labour party need another Islington lawyer in its most senior rank, or is her straight-talking manner a perfect fit for the senior vacancy left in the government?

“In one way, although from a radically different background to Angela Rayner, she is the closest thing you get to the Rayner voice of authenticity,” Emily says.

“She makes that wonderful big sigh before she starts speaking. You know that it's going to be pretty unvarnished, and it's going to be pretty upfront, and she doesn't shy away from the sticky stuff.”

In a statement on social media Thornberry has said that welfare, Gaza, wealth tax and changes to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be key parts of her campaign.

Bridget Phillipson

A woman. Working class. From the North-East. Education secretary Bridget Phillipson ticks a lot of the same boxes that Rayner did for the role of deputy leader.

She was the first cabinet minister to throw her hat in the ring, and is using her experience to fight her case for the role.

She said in a statement: "I've taken on powerful vested interests in the education sector - and even as they threw everything at me, I have never taken a backwards step. I will bring that same determination to every battle ahead of us. Because make no mistake: we are in a fight. We all know the dangers Reform poses to our country."

Bell Ribeiro-Addy

Bell Ribeiro-Addy, MP for Clapham and Brixton Hill, has confirmed she is standing for deputy Labour leader.

She has said that a debate about “what’s gone wrong” in the party needs to happen, and that the party is currently “haemorrhaging votes” to the Lib Dems, Greens and Reform UK.

“Ultimately all we seem to want to do at the moment is chase down Reform. We cannot do that,” she told the BBC’s Today programme.

Being on the left of the party, she may struggle to get nominations from the 80 MPs needed, and she has said that it is “unfair” that those running are only given three days to round up votes.

David Lammy

Following Rayner’s departure David Lammy was moved from foreign secretary to justice secretary in the reshuffle, and most notably, Starmer handed him Rayner’s former role of Deputy Prime Minister - similar in nature, but different, to the role of deputy leader.

“I think it’s fair to say he’s deputy leader in all but name,” Emily says.

The London-born MP for Tottenham could then be seen as Starmer’s choice, but ultimately, it will be up to party members to decide.

Lucy Powell

Andy Burnham has said the party needs someone from Greater Manchester in the deputy role.

Which, coincidentally, as Emily points out, is where Burnham is from.

Burnham’s comment may have been a subtle point of the finger to Lucy Powell, MP for Manchester Central, who is from Manchester, and is Burnham’s friend.

“There is a world in which he is positioning himself or her as the deputy, in case he ever tries to take a stab at the leadership, which would be quite useful,” Emily says.

Powell was sacked from her role of leader of the House of Commons during the reshuffle, leaving with a pointed statement, saying it has not been “an easy time for the government” after being given the news.

“People want to see change and improvements to their difficult lives," Powell said on social media.

Could she put herself forward to bring about that change?

Who else could enter the race?

Leeds MP Richard Burgon is rumoured to make a potential bid, as a left-wing candidate, it’s thought that many members facing discontent with the Starmer government could lend him their vote in order to make a statement.

Other names floating about include Anneliese Dodds, Dawn Butler, and Miatta Fahnbulleh.

Listen to the full discussion on The News Agents.