Lucy Powell urges party to avoid dismiss May local elections viewing them as inevitable losses
The party must avoid disregard next May’s elections anticipating heavy defeats, but use the budget as a way to seize back public focus, the former minister has said as the battle for deputy leadership entered its final period.
As member voting commences, her rival, Powell’s rival for the post, said if she won she would set up a formal system to reflect the views of members and unions directly to government leaders at regular intervals.
Powell was sacked from the cabinet during the recent ministerial shake-up following Angela Rayner’s exit and has become the favourite to win on an outsider platform, promising to present tough truths to Keir Starmer and his team as needed.
Following engagements with party members, Powell expressed there was concern about the possible impact on the party of the elections for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments alongside English local councils in May, where significant setbacks are forecast, many to Reform UK.
Powell, who was leader of the Commons until the reshuffle, said she was “not prepared to write off these crucial electoral contests” as typical midterm backlash, calling for a bold budget as a countermeasure.
“It’s not OK to lose capable Labour representatives and councils through external factors, due to national-level errors,” she said. “We must redefine our priorities preventing communities from awakening to Reform-controlled councils after election day next May.”
November’s budget must serve as “an opportunity to mark a break under our past mistakes, and show the country where our allegiance lies”, Powell said, proposing it removes the two-child limit on benefits ensuring fairer distribution of tax responsibilities.
During a BBC interview, Phillipson, the education secretary, suggested she expects the restriction would be abolished.
“I firmly believe that we as a government will do the right thing for children in poverty across the nation,” she affirmed. “We’ve already started that process. Further action is needed. I will ensure its completion.”
Phillipson contended that as a cabinet minister she could make sure direct representation of member concerns within senior government circles. In a subsequent pledge, her team said she would formally solicit views from members and unions every three months for presentation at high levels.
She declared: “The Labour party draws its strength from its members. Thus I aim to provide them a stronger voice in governmental policy implementation, with more avenues for our movement to tell us about their priorities.
“Only under my deputy leadership will member voices resonate distinctly during cabinet discussions.”
Online member voting commenced recently and will run until 23 October, with the result announced two days later.
