Lucy Powell has been elected Labour’s new deputy leader in a potential blow to the authority of Sir Keir Starmer.

The Manchester Central MP, who was sacked from Starmer’s Cabinet last month, has promised to stand up to the leadership in her new role and used her victory speech to warn against trying to “out-Reform Reform”.

She defeated Bridget Phillipson, seen as the more pro-Starmer candidate, with the support of 54.3 per cent of members when the result was announced on Saturday morning. Powell had been the bookmakers’ favourite after polls of the membership consistently showed her in the lead, although her margin of victory was tighter than the polling had indicated. New Feature

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