‘Labour must get the deputy leadership election right – or risk losing its heart’

Angela Rayner’s departure as Deputy PM and Leader, as well as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government is deeply saddening. Politics is brutal and Angela faced an extraordinary amount of pressure that no male colleagues in the rest of the political system ever face. Whilst she has made mistakes, she has had the integrity to admit them, face them and has now ultimately paid the price, ironically in a transparent standards system she helped drive through Parliament.

Her working-class roots and the various challenges she has faced makes her a powerful inspirational figure who has not only smashed through glass ceilings but has changed the rules for others coming up behind her. People from similar backgrounds now have opportunities that generations before would have found out of reach and unthinkable to consider. Having talked with her and seen her in action, I know she was her authentic self – kind and warm –  and she connected extremely well with people.

For women watching her journey from the sidelines, we all see parts of ourselves in Angela. Women face so many barriers to stepping up for political candidature. The need for loved ones’ support, caring duties, patriarchal systems, undemocratic selection processes, longstanding incumbents, lack of succession planning, racism. 

Any one of these issues can put women off standing, let alone one of the most scrutinised political roles in government. Yet, taking any one of these issues and coupling it with not having the right accent, clothes, school background, connections or career path, it is even more difficult. We looked to Angela’s trajectory with pride and inspiration, believing anything is possible. Never easy, but possible. 

We know she will remain a powerful force as MP for Ashton-under-Lyne and have every faith she will return stronger and we look forward to it.

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‘We don’t want to see sanitised list of hand-selected candidates paraded as choice’

As we now look to a Deputy Leadership election – not at the most ideal time, but the political timeline runs to its own mechanism, the members demand to see choice in candidates. Getting this right is deeply important for the morale and energy within the Labour Party membership. We do not wish to see a repeat of Parliamentary Candidate selections, where a sanitised list of hand-selected candidates are paraded as choice.

The members want to see a breadth of backgrounds amongst the Deputy Leader candidates. The final candidates should be from the soft left and pragmatic, driving balance through the heart of the party through negotiation, co-production and the right amount of challenge and kindness. From here, all factions of the Labour Party must get behind this candidate for us to move forward. 

Members want to be inspired, committed, and motivated – as we were by Angela. In addition, the more the electorate see people who look, sound, and come from similar backgrounds to them, the more connected people feel to politics and to political figures.

The educational background of the 2024 Commons is the most socio-economically diverse since 1979. We want to see a breadth of socio-economic backgrounds reflected in the candidates. When Keir Starmer declared shortly after winning the general election that ‘the fight for trust is the battle that defines our political era’. We believe him and that starts from within our Labour Party with fair elections and the democratic choice of candidates. Getting this right is key to engendering trust, particularly to the membership base, relied on to sell Labour enthusiastically on the doorstep.

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‘Women, remember, most men don’t second-guess whether it’s their time’

My last point is one of a call to arms. For those women MPs out there, who feel they won’t secure a 20% backing of MPs or the other required nominations. Those who are overwhelmed by those putting themselves forward, who are hesitating, thinking it is not their time. Remember – most men do not second-guess whether it is their time. We say rise, you may be surprised. There is a bigger hunger for choice than you expected. 

If something positive is to come out of Angela’s recent resignation, it will be that anything is possible for women – no matter their background, to stand up, be counted and included. We will not fight the political patriarchy and the two-tier treatment of women through the eyes of the right-wing press, by thinking someone else will do it for us. We must do it together and Empower Labour and its communications channels and membership networks, will be by your side, every step of the way.

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