Phillipson and Powell kick off Labour deputy race with very different visions for role

Education secretary says now is not time to ‘look backwards’ as Powell vows to be ‘independent voice’

Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell fired the starting pistol on the deputy leadership race on Sunday, with the education secretary saying now was not the time to “look backward” on the first year’s mistakes.

The pair set out strikingly different approaches to the role of deputy leader, with Powell saying she would be an independent voice who would speak truth to senior leadership including Keir Starmer.