Phillipson, Thornberry and Ribeiro-Addy Enter Labour Deputy Leadership Race

Published: 09 September 2025. The English Chronicle Desk

The contest to elect Labour’s next deputy leader has formally begun, with Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, Foreign Affairs Committee chair Emily Thornberry, and South London MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy all declaring their candidacies. The race, triggered by Angela Rayner’s departure, is set to be fast-moving, divisive, and potentially decisive for the party’s direction.

Phillipson immediately emerged as the frontrunner, with strong backing among Labour MPs who believe she is most likely to secure the required 80 nominations before Thursday’s deadline. Seen as a pragmatic figure and a cabinet minister with a record of delivery, she is considered the de facto candidate of Downing Street. However, her central role in government policies on welfare, Gaza, and spending cuts may draw suspicion from grassroots members, many of whom stand to the left of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.

Thornberry, declaring her candidacy on social media, signalled her determination to give party members and unions a stronger voice. “We fought hard for a Labour government. But we’ve made mistakes and must listen,” she wrote, highlighting welfare, Gaza, wealth tax, and reforms to special educational needs provision as priorities.

Ribeiro-Addy positioned herself firmly on the left, stressing the need for open debate on government failings. In a BBC interview, she criticised the handling of Gaza, welfare cuts, and the winter fuel allowance, while also condemning the truncated timetable for the contest. “It’s unfair,” she argued, “to expect MPs to make such a decision within just three days.”

Party insiders say Phillipson’s background as a working-class northerner from a single-parent family could prove a powerful asset. She has overseen expansions in free school meals and childcare while campaigning on child poverty, and her supporters argue she represents Labour’s values of fairness and social justice. In her launch statement, Phillipson described herself as “battle-tested” and “ready to take on Reform UK,” citing her electoral success against Nigel Farage’s movement in the north-east.

Yet despite her advantages, Phillipson may struggle to balance loyalty to Starmer with demands for internal party critique. Observers suggest she is unlikely to “come out swinging” against the leadership, a stance that may frustrate members who want a deputy willing to challenge the cabinet’s direction.

With senior figures such as Shabana Mahmood, Lisa Nandy and Louise Haigh stepping aside, the narrowed field has sharpened the contest. Other names, including Alison McGovern and Anneliese Dodds, remain in circulation, but time is short and nominations could prove elusive.

For Thornberry, the campaign represents a bid to restore her standing as an outspoken parliamentarian who resonates with the membership. For Ribeiro-Addy, it is an opportunity to rally the left and force debate on policy areas where dissatisfaction with Starmer’s government has been mounting.

The outcome of the deputy leadership election will not only determine who stands alongside Keir Starmer but could also shape Labour’s internal balance of power, reflecting broader divisions between the leadership, the grassroots, and the party’s trade union base.

As the clock ticks towards Thursday’s nomination deadline, the race is already exposing tensions within Labour over policy, party democracy, and the direction of government — a reminder that even in power, Labour remains a party defined by debate as much as by discipline.