Bridget Phillipson has put herself forward in the race to be Labour’s deputy leader, following the resignation of Angela Rayner.
The education secretary announced her candidacy early on Tuesday, describing herself as “a proud working-class woman from the North East” who had gone from “a single-parent family on a tough council street” to the Cabinet table.
Vlog understands that she would seek to continue as education secretary if she were elected.
Ms Phillipson said that she had taken on “powerful vested interests in the education sector” and “never taken a backwards step”, pledging to “bring that same determination to every battle ahead of us”.
She said: “Because make no mistake: we are in a fight. We all know the dangers Reform poses to our country.
“But not only am I ready for it: I’ve proven we can do it. I’ve shown we can beat Farage in the North East while staying true to the Labour Party’s values of equality, fairness and social justice.”
Who else is running for deputy leader?
Ms Phillipson is the second MP to put themselves forward for the deputy leadership, left vacant after Ms Rayner’s resignation last week over her tax affairs.
Bell Ribeiro-Addy announced her candidacy on Monday evening, while Foreign Affairs Committee chair Dame Emily Thornberry has indicated that she is also considering a bid for the role.
Nominations for the deputy leadership opened on Tuesday and candidates have until 5pm on Thursday to secure the backing of 80 MPs in order to reach the next round of the contest.
Former Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman has said the party must pick a woman from outside of London to replace Ms Rayner as the party’s deputy.
Ms Rayner’s resignation sparked a government reshuffle, which has involved a series of changes at the Department for Education.
Former schools minister Catherine McKinnell and children and families minister Janet Daby have both left government. Stephen Morgan, who was early education minister, has moved to become lord commissioner of the Treasury.
Over the weekend Georgia Gould, MP for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale, was announced as minister of state in the DfE. She was previously parliamentary secretary in the Cabinet Office.
Two DfE junior ministers have also been appointed: Josh MacAlister, MP for Whitehaven and Workington, and Olivia Bailey, MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire.
