Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell set for two-horse race to be Labour deputy

Education secretary and Manchester MP look destined for face-off as three other candidates struggle for MP nominations

Labour’s deputy leadership contest is set to be a race between the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, and the ousted cabinet minister Lucy Powell, as three other candidates in the race struggled to make nominations.

Phillipson comfortably cleared the hurdle of 80 nominations on Wednesday evening with backing from 116 MPs, but Powell was not yet at the threshold with 77 nominations.