Labour deputy leader's race is not left v right

Labour's new deputy leader will be unveiled to the public on Saturday. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and former Leader of the Commons Lucy Powell are battling it out to succeed Angela Rayner, who resigned early in September over the underpayment of tax on her flat purchase.

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Contenders Bridget Phillipson, left, and Lucy Powell

This is not a set-piece showdown between the party's left and right as some previous contests were, most famously the 1981 race when Denis Healey defeated Tony Benn by just 0.8 per cent of the votes. But it is nonetheless significant and could help shape Labour's immediate future.

The contest was viewed at one stage as a proxy battle between Keir Starmer and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham. That challenge has now fizzled out, but the result of the one-member-one-vote ballot will still be seen by many as a verdict on Keir Starmer's performance in office.