Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, has become the first cabinet minister to announce their candidacy to succeed Angela Rayner as the next deputy leader of the Labour Party.
In a statement on Tuesday morning, the MP for Houghton and Sunderland South pledged to “unite our great party and deliver for working people”, and take on “the dangers Reform poses our country”.
She is the second candidate to declare in the contest after left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy threw her hat in the ring on Monday evening. It was triggered by the resignation of Angela Rayner after she admitted to Sky News that she had underpaid the taxes due on a property near Brighton.
Politics latest: Nominations to replace Rayner open
Announcing her candidacy as nominations opened, Ms Phillipson said in a statement: “I am a proud working-class woman from the north east. I have come from a single-parent family on a tough council street, all the way to the cabinet, determined to deliver better life chances for young people growing up in our country.
“I’ve taken on powerful vested interests in the education sector – and even as they threw everything at me, I have never taken a backwards step. I will bring that same determination to every battle ahead of us. Because make no mistake: we are in a fight. We all know the dangers Reform poses our country.”
Ms Phillipson continued by saying that she has “shown we can beat [Reform UK leader Nigel] Farage in the north-east, while staying true to the Labour Party’s values of equality, fairness and social justice.
“With me as deputy leader we will beat them right across the country and unite to deliver the opportunity that working people across this great country deserve.”
Left-wing MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy announced her candidacy in a statement on X last night, and took a swipe at the party, saying: “I look forward to explaining why, over the three short and undemocratic days we have to do so.”
The Clapham and Brixton Hill MP has been backed by former Corbynite Richard Burgon, who said she “would ensure Labour members’ voices are heard at the top of our party – and not sidelined by yet more stitch-ups”.
The two candidates – and any others that declare – have until Thursday to gather the support of at least 80 of their fellow Labour MPs in order to proceed to the next stage of the contest.
