Phillipson and Powell confirmed as final contenders in Labour deputy race

Education secretary and Manchester MP are only candidates to clear threshold to enter party members’ ballot

No 10’s pick for Labour deputy leader, Bridget Phillipson, will face off against the ousted cabinet minister Lucy Powell in a race widely seen as a referendum for party members on the direction of Keir Starmer’s leadership.

With Downing Street in turmoil after the sacking of the US ambassador, Peter Mandelson, Powell clinched 117 MPs’ nominations, taking her over the threshold to enter the ballot of Labour members. Bell Ribeiro-Addy, the leftwing Labour MP, failed to make the cut-off.