Lucy Powell has been elected deputy leader of the Labour Party, defeating Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson with 54% of the vote. Powell secured 87,407 votes to Phillipson’s 73,536 on a turnout of 16.6%, with the result announced on 25 October 2025.
The contest was triggered after Angela Rayner resigned as deputy leader and from government on 5 September 2025 following findings by the prime minister’s independent adviser that she had not met the highest standards in relation to stamp duty. Rayner set out her reasons in a subsequent public letter.
Under Labour’s Rule Book, the deputy leader is a party officer: the post is elected by members and affiliates, is ex officio deputy leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, sits on the National Executive Committee (NEC), and supports and is consulted by the leader. The role is not a government position and carries no automatic claim to be deputy prime minister.
Accordingly, Powell will not serve as deputy prime minister; that appointment is made by the prime minister, and David Lammy currently holds the office following the September reshuffle.
Participation and margin matter for reading the party mood. While Powell won clearly, the result was not a landslide and turnout was low. Notably, among MPs, Phillipson had secured more Parliamentary Labour Party nominations (175) than Powell (117) at the close of nominations, underscoring a gap between parliamentary and membership preferences.
Powell’s return to senior party office comes seven weeks after she was removed from the Cabinet in the post‑Rayner reshuffle on 5 September, when she left her position as Leader of the House of Commons.
In early remarks after her win, Powell argued Labour should be “bolder” and avoid chasing Reform UK’s positions, while promising to listen more to members and backbench MPs. These messages signal a focus on party organisation and political strategy rather than an immediate bid to shape departmental policy from inside government.
Policy flashpoints are already visible. During the campaign, Powell backed exploring higher gambling duties to fund scrapping the two‑child benefit limit; Phillipson said removing the cap was “on the table”. These positions place the child poverty agenda squarely in the debate ahead of fiscal events.
Any influence will be exercised through party machinery. As a voting member of the NEC, Powell will help steer strategy and internal rules, and-working with the leadership-provide input into policy development processes set out in the Rule Book. That is where pressure on welfare, economic and party management questions is most likely to surface.
The timing is tight. The Chancellor has confirmed the Autumn Budget for 26 November 2025, giving less than a month for any internal signals to translate into political commitments. Meanwhile, Labour’s recent defeat in the Caerphilly Senedd by‑election has sharpened scrutiny of the party’s direction-context that will frame Powell’s early weeks in the post.