Risky rivalry Labour deputy contest may stir up more trouble for Starmer

When Lucy Powell got a phone call from a withheld number in her constituency office in Manchester on the day Angela Rayner resigned, Powell told her staff: "This is me getting the sack.

- Jessica Elgot Deputy political editor

Never would the former Commons leader have believed that less than two months later she might be on the brink of returning as Labour's deputy leader.

Her rival, Bridget Phillipson, also never expected to be in this position. Hurt by some of the internal briefing against her position as education secretary, she debated for more than a day whether to join the race at all. Being cast as the favoured candidate has not been comfortable.

Nevertheless, the outcome is likely to have profound consequences. “The result obviously matters, and the centre know it,” a Labour source said. “Why else would they have gone to bat so hard for their candidate?”

It is hard to imagine that any newfound unity will follow the result. Powell’s supporters, in particular, feel deeply aggrieved by how their candidate has been portrayed as the reckless outcast.

Over the weekend Powell was described as “the Momentum candidate” and Phillipson gave an interview saying she would cost the party the election.

“People keep saying the gloves are off - there is only one candidate with the gloves off and it’s not Lucy,” one MP said. Another said: “It’s clear that when the leadership preach unity they only mean one thing - avoid any criticism or debate even when we're making serious mistakes.”

There will be no big event to mark the result on Saturday, just a camera in Labour HQ with the results and a short speech from the winner. Some of Powell’s backers are irritated by the low-key plan.

There are fears she may in effect be frozen out - and uncertainty over whether she would be able to do her own broadcast rounds or election organising. “They need to respect the mandate if she wins,” one ally said.