By Andrew J Quinn

Copyright scotsman

Not updating the nomination list for the Labour deputy leadership contest has been branded “suspicious”. The party last updated the list on its website on Friday – at which point Bridget Phillipson had 31 Constituency Labour Party (CLP) nominations, with Lucy Powell one behind. Ms Powell’s team believe she has since overtaken her rival, but there is no means of officially showing this because the list has not been updated. A Labour source said: “It seems from social media sources that Lucy Powell is ahead on the CLP nominations so far showing the great momentum behind the campaign for her to be deputy leader. “The Labour Party was able to publish an official list of CLP nominations last Friday when Bridget seems slightly ahead but it is becoming suspicious they seem to be choosing not to now Lucy seems ahead. “The Party membership deserve a transparent process and I hope will agree to regular updates of CLP nominations as they started out doing.” The Labour Party said the list would be updated periodically Both candidates require the support of at least five per cent of CLPs or three affiliated organisations that represent at least five per cent of the affiliate membership. The CLPs generally have a vote at a meeting to chose which candidate they will endorse. There are more than 600 CLPs across the UK – with more than 70 in Scotland. Education Secretary Ms Phillipson is seen as the leadership’s choice for the contest – as she is a member of Sir Keir Starmer’s Cabinet. Former Leader of the Commons Ms Powell was sacked from the Cabinet earlier this month. At least nine Scottish CLPs have nominated Ms Powell so far. At least five have backed Ms Phillipson. One CLP – Falkirk West – declined to nominate any candidate. But this leaves more than 50 Scottish CLPs still to nominate or publicly declare who they are backing. Many local parties have nomination meetings planned, while it is expected that some will not have a meeting to endorse a candidate before the deadline on Saturday. Both Ms Powell and Ms Phillipson were in Scotland recently as part of their campaign. The pair will take part in a deputy leadership hustings at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool on Wednesday. The ballot will open on October 8 and close after two weeks. Both Ms Phillipson and Ms Powell required the backing of 80 MPs – 10 per cent of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) – to make it onto the ballot. The Scottish Labour MPs were split over who they nominated. Some 17 of them backed Ms Phillipson, with 12 nominating Ms Phillipson. Two – Euan Stainbank and Kenny Stevenson – backed left-winger Bell Ribeiro-Addy, who did not have enough nominations to make it to the ballot. Four MPs – Ian Murray, Michael Shanks, Gregor Poynton, Imogen Walker and Alison Taylor – did not nominate any candidate. Brian Leishman was not allowed to nominate because he has been suspended from the PLP. The Labour deputy leadership contest is happening because Angela Rayner was forced to resign after it was revealed she had failed to pay £40,000 of stamp duty on a second home. The Labour Party declined to comment.