Former home secretary, Alan Johnson, has endorsed education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to become Labour’s next deputy leader, after warning that Powell could be divisive.
Johnson suggested Phillipson’s rival, Lucy Powell, may not have entered the race had she not been sacked from the cabinet in last month’s major reshuffle, before warning she could “destabilise the leadership rather than enhance it”.
Phillipson and Powell are vying to replace Angela Rayner, after she resigned last month as both deputy prime minister and deputy leader, upon admitting that she had underpaid £40,000 in stamp duty on a flat in Hove.
First reported in The Times, Johnson said: “Labour’s leader and deputy leader have to form a partnership based on mutual respect — the deputy must complement the leadership not complicate it.
“All those deputies believed in being the voice of the membership at the top of the party, not in using their platform as some kind of alternative voice to the elected Leader.
“Lucy Powell is a talented politician but given her recent sacking from cabinet, an occupational hazard in any government, I’m afraid, and her stated objective of being an ‘egg breaker’, I wonder if her candidature isn’t bound to destabilise the leadership rather than enhance it.”
“Would she even be running this race if she still had a cabinet position?”
Praising Phillipson
In contrast, Johnson considered Phillipson to be one of the party’s “star performers”.
He said: “Bridget Phillipson is one of our strongest communicators, trusted to deliver the government’s message.”
“That’s what we need in these perilous times for our country and our democracy, not some kind of institutional opposition there to be a thorn in the leader’s side rather than a strong, fearless voice at the leader’s side.”
While Phillipson, who is considered as No 10’s candidate, gained more nominations from MPs than Powell did, the former Commons leader has emerged as the front runner among party members.
Ballot papers are due to go out to party members on Monday, with the results set to be announced on 25 October.
