Lucy Powell has been elected deputy leader of the Labour Party, defeating Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson in a contest that exposed growing dissatisfaction within the party's base. The Manchester Central MP secured 54% of the vote—87,407 ballots to Phillipson's 73,536—on a turnout of just 16.6%, a figure some insiders say reflects widespread disillusionment among members.
The result was announced shortly after Labour's poor performance in the Caerphilly byelection, where the party fell to third place behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, polling just 11% in a seat it had held since the Welsh Senedd's creation in 1999.
