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Lucy Powell, a frontrunner in the Labour deputy leadership race, has challenged Sir Keir Starmer's authority, stating the party needs to change direction to improve its “dismal poll ratings”. She believes her sacking as a minister was due to her opposition to welfare cuts and criticised the leadership for “missteps and mistakes”, including failing to listen to MPs. Powell advocates for restoring the whip to welfare rebels and expressed her support for both women's rights and the trans community, arguing Labour should not be swayed by “culture wars”. She warned against trying to “out Reform, Reform”, stressing the importance of rebuilding a broader voter coalition that also appeals to the left flank to prevent losing voters to other parties. Powell called for a Budget focused on fairness, specifically urging the urgent lifting of the two-child benefit cap to tackle child poverty and address deep-seated inequalities.
