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lucy powell has issued a major challenge to sir keir starmerThe authority stressed that it would pressure the Prime Minister to reconsider the party’s direction in an effort to rescue Labor From its disappointing poll ratings.
Manchester Central MP He is widely seen as the frontrunner in the race for the deputy leadership against the Education Secretary bridget philipson, Voting will end on Thursday and the results will be declared on Saturday.
talking to Independent, Ms Powell insisted that if she were declared the winner on Saturday morning, her mandate would be that “we need to make some changes in the way we do things” as she acknowledged that the party “has not been able to control the agenda… We have made some mistakes, some missteps.”
He claimed the leadership had failed to listen to MPs, particularly over the welfare revolt that rocked the government earlier in the summer and he believed this was a key factor in him losing his cabinet job.
“I was not there [happy about the welfare cuts]And I realized there were some problems with it, and it was going to be a real challenge. I offered solutions and ways forward, etc. And if that’s why I was fired, then so be it,” she said.
But Ms Powell insisted she would refuse to be sidelined and would take an active role in trying to save the party.
“It’s not a choice about inside the tent or outside the tent. I will be at the top of the Labor Party. I will be in all the conversations. I will be the deputy leader of the party. I think it’s more important what you bring to the table, rather than whether you’re at the table or not.”
“I will be fully involved in trying to change things for the Labor Party.”
The deputy leadership contest began when Angela Rayner sparked controversy over her tax affairs.
Ms Powell, who was sacked as minister just months ago, is seen as more of a ‘change’ candidate than her rival Ms. Phillipson. He is seen as the “moderate left” of the party and promised to urge the Prime Minister to pursue “bold policies rooted in progressive Labor values” as he launches his leadership bid.
During the campaign, she has been openly critical of “unexpected errors” on welfare and winter fuel payments.
While several welfare rebels, such as York Central MP Rachael Maskell, were also suspended from the parliamentary party following the welfare rebellion, Ms Powell was clear she believed they should be allowed back.
He said, “Losing the whip is something that should only be done in real extreme.” “In my view, it is not a tool that should be used frequently. And I would like to see people who have lost it get the whip back.”
Ms Powell has criticized guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on transgender issues, which was issued in the wake of the Supreme Court decision on biological sex and has been criticized by trans campaigners.
He believes this issue is one where Labor has been affected by the culture wars waged by the Tories, Reform and the right-wing media.
“I have been really clear throughout my political career and life that I am a feminist. I support all women’s rights, gender equality and women’s safety, all those issues, and I will never stop doing that.
“But for me, I don’t see any contradiction at all in fighting for those things, while at the same time I’m really clear that I support the trans community and trans people, who are some of the most marginalized, excluded people in society, who suffer a lot from mental health and homelessness.”
Her seat in the North West is at the heart of an area that is at risk of a reform storm, but she would like to see efforts to match the reform rhetoric on migration and culture wars toned down.
“You can’t reform, reform. We really need to be very clear about what our broad voter coalition is, because when you try to reform, reform, you always lose.”
He also warned that if Labor does not attract left-wing voters it will also lose voters to the Greens and Jeremy Corbyn’s own party.
“I’m the only one in this race who is really talking about our left, and how we have to rebuild that broad voter coalition,” she said.
“When you see Reform winning seats, sometimes it’s a straight switch from Labor to Reform, but other times, it’s Labor voters going elsewhere, and Reform coming in from the middle.”
Meanwhile, Ms Powell also made it clear that she wants to see a budget on November 26 that has “a strong story to tell on fairness and how we are remaking the country in the interests of the many, not the few.”
He warned: “We need to be very clear about the urgency and principles of removing the two-child benefit cap, because if we want to see child poverty levels reduced in this Parliament, we have to do that urgently.
“It’s about telling a very, very strong story about fairness and tackling the deep inequalities that exist.”
Speaking about the current direction of the party, Ms Powell said Independent: “There is a disconnect with our communities, and our movement is our bridge to our communities, and that is self-evident.
“I mean, it’s not dishonest for me to say that our poll ratings are the lowest they’ve ever been. We’ve made some mistakes, taken some missteps. We haven’t been able to control the agenda and really tell that story.”