Pair to fight for Labour deputy leadership role

WESTMINSTER'S Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson and ex-Commons leader Lucy Powell will fight it out for the position of deputy leader of the Labour Party after both secured enough support to make it through to the second round of the contest.

- CHRISTOPHER MCKEON, SOPHIE WINGATE and DAVID HUGHES

Backbencher Bell Ribeiro-Addy was knocked out of the race after she failed to get the 80 nominations from Labour MPs required to advance to the next stage.

Ms Phillipson picked up 175 nominations, Ms Powell 117 and Ms Ribeiro-Addy 24, according to the final tally after yesterday's 5pm deadline.

The three other MPs who had initially thrown their hats in the ring to succeed Angela Rayner who quit after a row over her tax affairs struggled to get anywhere near the threshold and dropped out before nominations closed.

They were Commons Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry, backbencher Paula Barker and housing minister Alison McGovern.

The two remaining candidates will now have to secure the support of 5% of constituency parties or at least three affiliates including at least two affiliated trade unions.