Labour knows it's losing, Powell thinks it can be rescuedpublished at 13:01 BST

13:01 BST

Chris Mason
Political editor

It was a contest the party didn’t want. Its outcome so underplayed us reporters weren’t even let in to watch it.

Seven weeks ago the Prime Minister sacked Lucy Powell from his cabinet; today she became his deputy leader of the Labour Party. Funny old business, politics.

This is not the outcome Keir Starmer would have preferred.

The two met one-on-one after the result was declared - hedgehog diplomacy perhaps? A little spiky? At least awkward.

This is a party that knows it is currently losing - losing elections, losing attention, often losing the argument.

This is an expression of that fret. Are things rescue-able? I asked Lucy Powell. Yes, she insisted.

Whether she’s right is the determining factor in the fate of this government.

We're ending our coverage of the Labour deputy leader election announcement but we'll keep our story updated. Thank you for sticking with us.

Image source, PA Media

Weeks after Prime Minister Keir Starmer sacked her as Leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell won the battle to become deputy leader of the Labour Party.

The race for deputy leadership, which was between Powell and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, came after Angela Rayner's resignation last month.

Here's what has happened today:

• Powell received 87,407 votes - compared to Phillipson's 73,536

• During her victory speech, Powell called her win a "huge privilege" and vowed to help the Labour government deliver the bold changes they promised voters
• She insisted that she could affect change despite being outside of cabinet, and vowed to help Keir Starmer fight against the "politics of hate and division"
• The prime minister congratulated Powell - describing her as a "proud defender" of Labour values
• Phillipson also wished Powell "the very best" as deputy leader - while Angela Rayner said her successor will be a "powerful voice" for the Labour movement.
• Other parties have also weighed in. Lib Dem's Daisy Cooper called for "far more urgency" in light of Powell's election, whilst Tory Chairman Kevin Hollinrake questioned whether Starmer will have the "backbone" to stand up to Powell on key issues

Labour says Powell will start "knocking on doors" immediately, with all eyes now on the local elections in May.

Powell is then pressed on her comments about the row over the grooming gangs scandal and whether she stands by her remarks.

• For context: Powell appeared to describe grooming gangs as "a dog whistle" during a BBC Radio 4 programme earlier this year, which prompted backlash from Labour's political opponents

Powell is also asked to give a message to victims who are concerned her victory will weaken the public inquiry further.

Powell says she is "absolutely determined - always have been" to make sure those perpetrating grooming against vulnerable women and girls are found.

She says those involved will brought to justice and held accountable - including individuals who "turned a blind eye".

Powell ends with saying that she hopes Labour can get the inquiry up and running soon as soon as possible

Powell is also asked about the man mistakenly released after recently being convicted for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman while staying in an asylum hotel in Epping, Essex.

• For context, Hadush Kebatu was set free in error on Friday, weeks after being sentenced to prison for 12 months

Powell describes this as an "operational matter", but recognises it as a "big mistake".

"We need to find him quickly and make sure he's deported," she says.

Image source, POOL

We can bring you a bit more from Powell now.

In her first brief interview since her election, she's asked about the low turnout for voting, which was around 16.6%.

Powell says final details on the voters are to come, but she believes the party membership was well represented in the turnout.

The deputy leader is then asked if she can affect change from outside the cabinet, to which she says she is "really determined to".

Powell insists she will help the party be more in touch with the national conversation, and become more inclusive.

She says she wants to help Keir Starmer reunite the country and fight against the "politics of hate and division" in the country.

Image source, EPA

Former deputy leader of the Labour Party Angela Rayner has congratulated Lucy Powell on her victory today.

Rayner says she is "delighted" for her "friend and brilliant colleague", who will be a "powerful voice" for the Labour movement and values as deputy leader.

• As a reminder, Rayner resigned from the role after admitting she underpaid stamp duty on her £800,000 flat in Hove

The former deputy leader also extended commiserations to Bridget Phillipson, saying the education secretary will remain "a formidable voice at the Cabinet table".

Image source, PA Media

We're now hearing Powell speak for a second time following her victory in Labour's deputy leadership contest 90 minutes ago.

Speaking in front of some of her supporters in Southwark, she expresses how happy she is to have been elected.

She now says it rests on Labour's shoulders to prove that "progressive, mainstream politics" can change lives for better.

The party must do this whilst facing forces of "hate and disillusionment", she says, and the government must stand tall.

The deputy leader emphasises Labour's aims to transform lives and change the things that haven't worked for 14 years.

Powell says she will "get working today" to get "brilliant" candidates elected in London at next year's election.

She ends by saying Labour representatives should be all around the country, to ensure the party can deliver for the country.

Image source, UK Pool

Labour Party Chair Anna Turley speaks first, introducing Powell as the party's new deputy leader.

The pair share a hug and Turley tells the crowd it is a privilege to have Powell in the role.

She adds that Powell will now drive the party's ambitions at the heart of government and finishes her introduction by saying she looks forward to seeing what the new deputy leader goes on to do.

We're now hearing from newly-elected Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell and Chair of the Labour Party Anna Turley.

We'll bring you top lines here, and you can also Watch live at the top of the page.

Image source, PA Media

Lucy Powell's political life started early, very early. Her mother went into labour with her on the day of the general election in 1974 - she even delayed going into hospital to make sure she could vote first.

Powell grew up in Didsbury, Manchester, an area which has been variously dubbed the "stockbroker" or "muesli" belt following a few years of gentrification.

Between 1998 and 2005, she worked for Britain in Europe, a group campaigning in favour of the UK's membership of the EU.

In 2010, she ran Ed Miliband's successful bid to lead the Labour Party and continued working for him as his deputy chief of staff until 2012, when she won a by-election to represent the safe Labour seat of Manchester Central.

A year later she was promoted to the shadow cabinet and continued to serve in different frontbench roles until 2016.

When Labour won the 2024 election, she became Leader of the House of Commons, whose main job is managing government business in Parliament, as well as modernising Parliament and improving working conditions for MPs and staff.

In the major reshuffle that followed Angela Rayner's resignation in September, Powell was one of the few ministers to be sacked from government.

Asked about her vision for Labour, she said her Manchester Central constituency was made up of "classic Red Wall constituents - white working class, older voters" and "younger, liberal, left-leaning voters who haven't got that long-standing cultural loyalty to Labour".

She argued that Labour could achieve that by building a "fairer economy, an economy that works in the interests of the many, not the few".

Image source, PA Media

We can now bring you reaction from other political parties to Lucy Powell's win in the deputy leadership elections.

Liberal Democrats' deputy leader Daisy Cooper says "the government has failed to deliver the change they promised" as she reacted to Lucy Powell's election as deputy leader today.

In a statement, Cooper calls for "far more urgency and ambition" as Powell takes over from Angela Rayner, adding "the country doesn't have any time for internal party factions or feuds".

Conservative Party chairman Kevin Hollinrake says Keir Starmer "has the candidate he didn't want" after Powell's victory.

He warns that Starmer "won't have the backbone" to stand up to Powell on welfare spending, and argues Bridget Phillipson's loss "is another defeat of the Prime Minister's authority".

Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage asks: "How many members do they actually have?" - 160,000 Labour party members voted in the leadership race.

• For context: Before announcing the result, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said there were 970,642 eligible voters. She said 160,993 votes were cast. The turnout was therefore 16.6%, she added.

Image source, EPA

As we've just reported, we'll soon be hearing again from Lucy Powell. In this speech, she will be joined by Labour Party Chair Anna Turley - here's a little bit more on her.

Anna Turley was appointed Labour Party chair in the reshuffle that followed Angela Rayner's resignation in September.

The administrative role is involved in organising the party and overseeing general election campaigns.

Since the party chair is appointed by the prime minister, they do not have a direct mandate from members, as the deputy leader does.

Image source, PA Media

Lucy Powell's victory speech ended a few minutes ago - but we'll hear again from Labour's new deputy leader shortly.

She's currently meeting with party activists and supporters alongside Labour Chair Anna Turley.

Then, Powell and Turley will both give another speech, before heading off to answer questions from journalists.

You can follow along by clicking Watch Live at the top of the page from 11:15 BST

Bridget Phillipson, who unsuccessfully ran against Lucy Powell for the role of Labour's deputy leader, has just congratulated her opponent.

In a post on X, Phillipson congratulates Powell on her win and wishes her the "very best" as deputy leader.

"Disappointed to have lost, but proud of the campaign we ran. Thanks to everyone who backed me along the way, it's been a privilege to meet so many of you and I'm so grateful for your support," writes the education secretary.

She vows to remain a strong voice in cabinet.

'Labour has to be bolder': A look back at Powell's victory speechpublished at 10:48 BST

10:48 BST

Iain Watson
Political correspondent, reporting from the venue

Image source, PA Media

Lucy Powell's winning speech was interesting.

She was of course saying that she would be an ally of Keir Starmer's and that she is here to help him in the fight against hate and division.

But she didn't baulk at setting out some of the problems that the party has.

She talked about trickle-down economics not working, for example. That might seem a bit of a side-swipe at how the Treasury is managing things.

She also said the party had to be bolder. She said that Labour has to give a stronger sense of who's side they're on.

If that was the voice of a friend, you wonder what she'd say if she'd portrayed herself as a critic of Keir Starmer's.

I think she was very clear that the party membership have expressed their concerns.

Now, Keir Starmer has to adjust his leadership to address those concerns himself.

An unsurprising result and an underwhelming margin of victorypublished at 10:43 BST

10:43 BST

Iain Watson
Political correspondent, reporting from the venue in London

The polling and the mood music at Westminster suggested a Lucy Powell victory.

So in that sense the result was unsurprising.

But the margin of victory - while clear - wasn’t overwhelming.

The party leadership will be relieved that Bridget Phillipson secured 46 per cent of the vote, compared to Lucy Powell’s winning 54 - suggesting there isn’t an out and out rejection of how the party is being run from the top.

There will also be some focus on what looks like a low turnout.

But that’s partly because while many people join the Labour Party individually some of those who are eligible to vote via their trade union membership.

The union Unite declared that neither candidate was worthy of support so it would be unsurprising if some of these members sat on their hands.

Image source, PA Media

Both Keir Starmer and the his newly-elected deputy leader Lucy Powell made mention of yesterday's loss for Labour in the Caerphilly by-election.

Here's a reminder of what happened:

The party saw a historic defeat at a by-election in the Welsh Parliament.

Plaid Cymru's Lindsay Whittle was declared the winner of the Caerphilly seat in the Senedd yesterday - the first parliamentary defeat Labour suffered in the area for 100 years.

Keir Starmer said he was "deeply disappointed" at the loss. His party finished third after Reform UK.

With this drubbing at the forefront of their minds on day one, the new deputy leader - sometimes known as the party's "campaigner-in-chief" - will be all too aware of the challenges they face.

Image source, PA Media

Back on the stage, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says the focus now turns to next year's local elections in May.

She says that Powell will now start "knocking on doors" straight away.

With that, she thanks the members in the room and the event ends with applause as Starmer, Powell and Phillipson leave.

Starmer moves on to yesterday's by-election defeat in Caerphilly, where Labour lost their seat to Plaid Cymru.

• For context, Labour suffered its first parliamentary defeat in Caerphilly for 100 years as Plaid Cymru claimed victory in the Welsh Parliament by-election.

He states that decline, grievance and division can only be answered with renewal - something the people of Scotland, Wales and England must be offered next year.

He urges his party to unite and keep our focus to win "the defining battle for the soul of our nation".

Powell will do just that, he proudly tells the audience.

Starmer notes how the newly-appointed deputy leader has made clear that she wants to use her position to drive Labour forward.

After thanking Powell and Phillipson again, and emphasising Labour's need to come together to fight for Britain, he ends his speech and embraces both candidates.