Lucy Powell is a beacon of hope, but Labour still faces a crisis
The new deputy leader brings hope for Labour’s renewal, but deep structural problems and voter disillusionment remain.
The election of Lucy Powell as Labour’s deputy leader, with roughly 54 per cent of the vote, is more than just an internal reshuffle, although you’d be forgiven for thinking it looks that way.
The deputy leader election signals a potential correction in the party’s trajectory and a warning bell. While Powell defeated Bridget Phillipson by a clear margin, the turnout saw less than one-fifth (17 per cent) of the membership casting their vote; the clearest indication of the widespread disillusionment that has gripped the Labour party in the last few years.
It comes as little surprise; Labour members have been quitting for months, frustrated by Starmer’s rightward drift.
Powell’s message is straightforward: Labour must stop being shaped by a “narrow group of voices” at the top and start reconnecting with its grassroots and voters in the country. In other words, her win is not purely about factional victory, but a recognition that the party’s brand and relationship with both the membership and electorate are frayed.
That matters because this moment is structurally precarious for Labour. The dramatic collapse in the Caerphilly Senedd by-election – a traditionally Labour heartland seat – in which Labour dragged in just 11 per cent of the vote and finished third behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, is stark evidence of a disconnect. Voters are abandoning the party on both flanks. But if you needed any more evidence the rightward pivot is failing then look no further than this core seat, where the electorate chose progressivism over nationalist politics.
“The Caerphilly result points to deep structural problems: a party that has lost conviction, appearing managerial, disconnected, and adrift.”
Powell’s mandate is two-fold. First, a bridge between the party’s governing leadership and the grassroots, ensuring members feel heard and energised rather than sidelined.
Second, to bring Labour’s campaigning instincts back into focus: reminding the party that winning government is one thing, but staying connected to the electorate and delivering meaningfully is another. That means building on the vision of what Britain should be (something Starmer began to flesh out at the party conference), but also shouting about this government’s successes. Yes, there are some. Look at the Renters’ Reform Bill, Ed Miliband’s focused net-zero drive and the forthcoming Employment Rights’ Bill, to name a few. On this, the government must be louder.
The momentum of decline is clearly bigger than any deputy leadership election can reverse. The Caerphilly result points to deep structural problems: a party that has lost conviction, appearing managerial, disconnected, and adrift. Plaid’s victory, built on a clear narrative of hope and purpose, highlights the government’s original sin: why, oh why, after 14 years of Tory rule, austerity, and scandal, did Labour’s messaging start with the bleak declaration that things will only get worse?
Crucially, Powell’s success could mark a turning point. Her platform emphasises re-engagement, narrative, values, and campaigning. If she uses the role not as a ceremonial deputy but as a genuine platform for renewal, working in tandem with Starmer while gently pushing the leadership back to the grassroots, then Labour has a real opportunity to reset the internal machinery and sharpen its public appeal.
But words won’t suffice. The party will need to show real change: clearer storytelling of achievements in office, visible and sustained outreach to communities, and policies that feel grounded in everyday experience. Powell herself said “we haven’t felt included and connected as we should in recent months, and that’s what often happens when you go into government.”
Powell’s election is a hopeful beacon, but the by-election result shows how far the party has drifted from its roots and voters. The deputy leader’s job now is to help steer it back with ambition with empathy. Labour’s ability to survive the next few years depends not just on who sits at No.2, but on whether the whole party can remember who it serves, and fundamentally, who it is.■
About the author: Zoë Grünewald is Westminster Editor at The Lead and a freelance political journalist and broadcaster. Zoë then worked as a policy and politics reporter at the New Statesman, before joining the Independent as a political correspondent. When not writing about politics and policy, she is a regular commentator on TV and radio and a panellist on the Oh God What Now podcast.