Phillipson hits out at Powell, warning against deputy leader ‘with no clout’

Education Secretary and deputy leadership hopeful Bridget Phillipson has hit out at her rival Lucy Powell as members cast their ballots in the contest.

In a statement shared to members of the Fabian Society ahead of a hustings this weekend, Phillipson made a thinly veiled jab at the former House of Commons leader over her plan not to serve in the cabinet should she win the deputy leadership election.

Addressing the need to tackle the threat of the Reform, she said: “We won’t beat them if we ourselves are divided as a party. We won’t win with a deputy leader on the outside, throwing rocks and with no clout.

“Divided parties don’t win elections. Labour members know that better than most. We spent 14 long years in opposition because we couldn’t win elections, and saw the country suffer as a result.

“That didn’t feed a single hungry child. It entertained the Westminster bubble, but it failed the people who the Labour Party was founded to represent and who Labour governments are supposed to serve.”

Phillipson also hit out at Nigel Farage, claiming his party “acts as a gateway to the rise of fascism and the hard right” and warned: “A Britain where Nigel Farage holds power is one that will be less tolerant and more cruel.”

She also decried other progressive parties, including the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, along with Scottish and Welsh nationalists, as “aiding and abetting” the rise of Nigel Farage – claiming they “offer false hope but can’t deliver change”.

“Only Labour is big enough and strong enough to prevent Farage taking power – and a second term Labour government is essential to deliver the progressive change our country so desperately needs.”

Phillipson acknowledged frustration among the membership at some of the government’s decision and said: “I say we should push back, be proud and confident in what we have achieved, and go further and faster on progressive change.”

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It comes as Phillipson trails in opinion polls in the context for the deputy leadership, with the latest LabourList/Survation poll putting Powell on 57% and Phillipson on 26%, with 18% undecided.

In her statement to Fabian members, Lucy Powell said she would be a “strong, independent voice for progressive change, linking the heart of our party – our members, unions, elected representatives, socialist societies and the communities we all live in – with the head of our party in government”.

She said: “At the moment, there’s a feeling of frustration in our party and the country. Politics is moving incredibly fast and government is slow. The public aren’t hearing about the real change we’re making, because of the missteps, mistakes and misjudgements we’ve made; and not enough is being done to draw our members, MPs and councillors in.

“A culture change is needed at the top of our party to help us avoid making the same mistakes again and connect with communities again. The groupthink must end. That’s how we succeed and that’s where our strength as a broad church lies.”

Phillipson and Powell go head-to-head at a hustings event hosted by the Fabians on Sunday.

Members have until October 23 at midday to cast their vote in the deputy leadership contest.

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