Labor Party Deputy Leadership Contenders: Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell Square Off
Labour Deputy Leadership Race: Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell Aim to Tackle Child Poverty
Two Labour Party candidates, Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell, have entered the race to succeed Angela Rayner as the party's deputy leader. Both candidates have pledged to make tackling child poverty a top priority if elected.
Bridget Phillipson, who crossed the nomination threshold first, has stated that scrapping the two-child benefit cap is 'on the table' in the battle against child poverty. She is expected to report ahead of the Budget in November with a strategy including recommendations on the two-child cap. Phillipson has also been co-chair of the child poverty taskforce established by the Government.
Phillipson's campaign has been boosted by the endorsement of the National Union of Mineworkers and a series of strong evenings of CLP nominations, with a source in her campaign noting that Labour members were 'supporting Lucy's message of hope that we can unify our coalition and the country.'
Meanwhile, Lucy Powell has also passed the threshold to be on the ballot, thanks to trade union support and nominations from constituency Labour parties (CLPs). The Education Secretary has pledged to be a 'campaigning deputy leader at the Cabinet table' and has urged for the two-child limit to be scrapped before the autumn child poverty strategy.
Alison Garnham, chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG), a UK charity focused on tackling child poverty and advocating for social security reforms to support low-income families, has urged for the two-child limit to be scrapped before the autumn child poverty strategy. She stated that unless the two-child limit is scrapped, there will be more children in poverty at the end of this parliament than when Labour took office.
Members will vote in October to determine the winner of the deputy leadership contest, with the result to be announced on October 25. Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell will participate in a hustings on the last day of Labour's annual conference in Liverpool.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has consistently declined to rule out the possibility of abolishing the two-child benefit cap, adding an extra layer of intrigue to the race for the deputy leadership. Both candidates will have the opportunity to present their strategies and visions for tackling child poverty to Labour members in the coming weeks.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
