Lucy Powell | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy Leader of the Labour Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 25 October 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Angela Rayner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the House of Commons Lord President of the Council | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prime Minister | Keir Starmer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Penny Mordaunt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alan Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chair of theCommons Modernisation Committee | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 9 September 2024 – 5 September 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Office established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Alan Campbell | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of Parliament forManchester Central | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 15 November 2012 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Tony Lloyd | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Majority | 13,797 (34.7%) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Lucy Maria Powell Moss Side,Manchester, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | Parrs Wood High School Xaverian College | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | Somerville College, Oxford King's College London | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Official website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lucy Maria Powell is a British politician who isDeputy Leader of the Labour Party since October 2025, having previously beenLeader of the House of Commons andLord President of the Council from July 2024 to September 2025. She has been theMember of Parliament (MP) forManchester Central since 2012. Powell has been described as belonging to thesoft left of the Labour Party.
Born inManchester, Powell attendedParrs Wood High School. She went on to study atSomerville College, Oxford andKing's College London, before working in campaigning and PR roles forBritain in Europe,NESTA and the Labour Party. Powell was elected to theHouse of Commons at the2012 Manchester Central by-election as MP for Manchester Central. She was re-elected at the2015 general election and campaigned to remain in theEuropean Union (EU) in the2016 Brexit referendum. She was re-elected in both the2017 and2019 general elections.
Powell held several shadow cabinet roles under bothEd Miliband andJeremy Corbyn, and was vice-chair of the 2015 election campaign for the latter. Having left Corbyn's frontbench team during the2016 British shadow cabinet resignations, she rejoined theShadow Cabinet of Keir Starmer in 2020, holding portfolios in business, housing and culture. In the2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle, she was appointed asShadow Leader of the House of Commons. After Labour's victory in the2024 general election, Powell was appointed Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council in the firstStarmer cabinet. She was removed from the government as a part of the2025 British cabinet reshuffle and returned to the backbenches.
Following the resignation ofAngela Rayner, Powell put her name forward as a candidate for thedeputy leadership of the Labour Party on 9 September 2025. She defeatedBridget Phillipson on 25 October 2025.
Lucy Powell was born inMoss Side,Manchester.[1] She attended Beaver Road Primary School andParrs Wood High School inDidsbury, and then studiedA-levels atXaverian College.[2] She studied chemistry atSomerville College, Oxford, having been the only pupil in her Sixth Form to receive an offer to theUniversity of Oxford.[3][4] However, she left Oxford after one year and transferred in to the second year of the chemistry degree atKing's College London.[5][6]
Powell began her career working as a parliamentary assistant forBeverley Hughes, after having worked at the Labour Party Headquarters inMillbank Tower during the1997 general election campaign.[7]
She joined the pro-Euro and pro-EU Treaty pressure group Britain in Europe (BiE), originally in a public relations role and later as head of regional campaigning. She replaced Simon Buckby as Campaign Director of BiE. In this capacity, she worked withChris Patten,Neil Kinnock,Nick Clegg andDanny Alexander.[8]
After BiE was wound down in June 2005 because of thereferendum "No" votes in France andthe Netherlands, she worked for thenon-departmental public body or quango NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts), initially in a public affairs role and later to establish and manage the Manchester Innovation Fund project.
From May 2010 to September 2010 Powell managedEd Miliband's successfulcampaign for the Labour Party leadership.[9] She then was Ed Miliband's acting and later deputy chief of staff from September 2010 to April 2012.
Powell was selected as Labour'sprospective parliamentary candidate forManchester Withington in April 2007. At the2010 general election, she stood in Manchester Withington, coming second with 40.5% of the vote behind the incumbentLiberal Democrat MPJohn Leech.[10]
Powell was elected as MP for Manchester Central at the2012 Manchester Central by-election, winning the election with 69.1% of the vote and a majority of 9,936 votes.[11]
Powell first joined the opposition frontbench in October 2013 as Shadow Childcare and Early Years Minister,[12] and entered theMiliband shadow cabinet in November 2014 as Shadow Minister for theCabinet Office.
Powell was appointed vice-chair of the2015 general election campaign byEd Miliband,[13] in which Labour suffered a net loss of 26 seats, including a net loss of 40 seats in Scotland.[14][15] She was heavily criticised for apparently suggesting that Labour's election pledges were liable to be broken: in talking about theEdStone, she commented: "I don't think anyone is suggesting that the fact that he's carved them into stone means that he is absolutely not going to break them or anything like that." She said that she had been quoted out of context.[16] She was responsible for Ed Miliband's interview withRussell Brand, described as a PR blunder.[17] As a result of these actions coupled to the result,Tanya Gold, writing forThe Sunday Times, described her as "discredited".[18] In response to the result, Powell stated, "I bear my share of responsibility in this".[19]
Powell was re-elected as MP for Manchester Central at the 2015 general election with a decreased vote share of 61.3% and an increased majority of 21,639.[20][21] In the subsequent2015 Labour Party leadership election, she nominatedAndy Burnham.[22]
On 13 September 2015, Powell was appointed asShadow Education Secretary byJeremy Corbyn, succeedingTristram Hunt. As Shadow Education Secretary, she argued for bringingfree schools andacademies underLocal Education Authority control.[23]
She resigned from the Shadow Cabinet on 26 June 2016,along with dozens of shadow cabinet colleagues unhappy with Corbyn's leadership.[24][25] She supportedOwen Smith in the2016 Labour leadership election.[26]
At the snap2017 general election, Powell was again re-elected, with an increased vote share of 77.4% and an increased majority of 31,445.[27] Upon receiving the exit poll for the results of election, Powell's reaction had been one of surprise and disbelief as polls indicated a hung parliament, suggesting that Labour had performed much better than anticipated. Footage from that night shows her gasping in astonishment at the results.[28] The day after the election she stated that, "We did get it wrong onJeremy Corbyn. I'm really glad that we got it wrong".[29]
During her period on the backbenches, she focused on issues including online harms and digital regulation, co-founding the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Social Media and calling for stronger safeguards against harmful content and misinformation.[30] She also introduced a Private Member’s Bill on online hate speech, proposing tighter controls on tech companies’ responsibilities for harmful content.[31] Powell took an interest in housing and local government, campaigning on cladding and building safety issues after the Grenfell Tower fire,[32] and raising concerns about urban regeneration projects in Manchester. She also sat on the Commons Science and Technology Committee, contributing to inquiries into data use, digital policy, and the impact of automation.[33]
In September 2017, the political commentatorIain Dale placed Powell at Number 81 in The 100 Most Influential People on the Left.[34]
At the2019 general election, Powell was again re-elected, with a decreased vote share of 70.4% and a decreased majority of 29,089.[35] Powell endorsedKeir Starmer in the2020 Labour Party leadership election.[36]
On 9 April 2020, Powell rejoined the Labour frontbench when she was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers by new party leaderKeir Starmer.[37] In theMay 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle, she was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet as theShadow Secretary of State for Housing, succeedingThangam Debbonaire.[38] During her tenure, she set out Labour's housing priorities at the party conference, including plans to expand the construction of council and social housing, establish a Building Works Agency to oversee building safety, and reform compulsory purchase rules to enable local authorities to acquire land for development.[39] She also argued that housing policy should prioritise affordability and security rather than investment value.[40]
In theNovember 2021 shadow cabinet reshuffle, Powell was appointedShadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.[41] Whilst in this post, Powell described herself as a "tech optimist".[42] In the role, she criticised the government's handling of theBBC licence fee settlement and argued for the corporation's long-term financial stability.[43] She opposed privatisation ofChannel 4, describing it as a commercially successful public asset whose sale would harm the independent production sector.[44] Powell also supported measures to strengthen protections for the creative industries, advocated reforms to online safety regulation, and promoted greater access to cultural education.[45]
In the2023 British shadow cabinet reshuffle, Powell was appointedShadow Leader of the House of Commons in a direct job swap withThangam Debbonaire.[46] In her role, she actively promoted improvements to parliamentary standards and conduct. She advocated strengthening sanctions against misconduct, notably in response to proposals to exclude MPs arrested on suspicion of violent or sexual offences, and criticised attempts to curtail the Standards Committee’s powers following theOwen Paterson lobbying scandal.[47] Powell also proposed the launching of major initiatives to modernise Parliament, including the establishment of inquiries into access, family-friendly working practices and simplified parliamentary language, and advancing reforms on second jobs and cultural behaviour standards.[48][49][50]
In February 2024, Powell was centrally involved in the Gaza ceasefire vote controversy. When theSpeaker of the House of Commons departed from precedent by allowing Labour’s amendment to be voted on – and passed – unopposed after the government withdrew its amendment, Powell defended Labour’s advocacy for a more representative debate and urged broader humility among MPs. She described the episode as a “humiliation of vanity” and offered an “olive branch” to restore parliamentary trust and functionality.[51][52]
At the2024 general election, Powell was again re-elected, but with a lower vote share of 50.8% and a smaller majority of 13,797.[53]
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After theLabour Party's victory in the2024 general election, Powell was appointed theLeader of the House of Commons andLord President of the Council by the newPrime MinisterKeir Starmer on 5 July.[54] Upon Labour's return to government, Powell played an important role in developing the government's legislative agenda for theKing's speech delivered on 17 July 2024, which outlined 39 proposed bills with emphases on economic growth, housing, employment rights, and constitutional reforms.[55]
On 25 July 2024, she secured parliamentary approval to re-establish the Commons Modernisation Committee, which had been abolished under the previous Conservative government.[56] As Leader of the Commons, she concurrently was chair of the committee and oversaw its remit to review parliamentary procedure, standards, and workplace culture.
During her tenure, Powell introduced reforms limiting MPs from holding paid consultancy and advisory roles,[57] and expanded induction and standards training for newly elected members.[58] She supported improved accessibility for disabled MPs through wider use of call lists,[59] and initiated cross-party discussions on the potential adoption of electronic voting to reduce the length of divisions.[60] In March 2025, Powell organised the first official photograph of all 263 women MPs elected in 2024 to mark the highest female representation in Commons history.[61] She also advised against the closure of parliamentary social facilities on security grounds,[62] and stated her opposition to proposals to criminalise lying in public office, citing existing parliamentary sanctions as sufficient.[63]
On 20 March 2025, Powell launched an inquiry into improving physical and procedural accessibility within Parliament, soliciting evidence on short- and medium-term adaptations to the parliamentary estate and simplifying the language used in proceedings so they are more comprehensible to both members and the public.[64] She emphasised the importance of measures such as proxy voting extensions—covering fertility treatment, baby leave, and pregnancy complications—as part of efforts to make parliamentary participation more family-friendly and flexible.[65] In line with this, she oversaw formal motions amending the Guide to the Rules to restrict paid consultancy and advisory work for MPs, reinforcing ethics and weakening potential conflicts of interest in early rulings of the committee’s term.
In September 2024, Powell warned there could have been a "run on the pound" if the government had not made urgent spending cuts in July, including severe limitations to pensionerWinter Fuel Payments which received heavy criticism. TheFinancial Times reported that several financial experts had refuted this claim, including Ben Zaranko from the Institute for Fiscal Policy, who said this suggestion was "silly".[66][67]
In May 2025, Powell described discussion ofrape gangs as a "dog whistle", which was condemned by survivors of the abuse.[68]Reform UK called her comments "abhorrent" and asked the Prime Minister to consider sacking Powell,[69] while the Conservatives called on her to resign.[70] She subsequently apologised and received the full backing of thePrime Minister's Office.[71]
On 5 September 2025, Powell was dismissed from her position as Leader of the House of Commons as part of acabinet reshuffle following the resignation of thenDeputy Prime MinisterAngela Rayner.[72] Powell was reported to have been unhappy with her dismissal by Starmer. A Labour source stated that "she was heads and shoulders above" some colleagues who were retained and that, during her time in government, she was also reported to have had disagreements withMorgan McSweeney, thePrime Minister's Chief of Staff. Her removal, along with that of several other ministers from the North West of England, reportedly raised concerns within the party about regional representation in the government.[73][74]
Following her dismissal as Leader of the Commons,Andy Burnham, the incumbentMayor of Greater Manchester, endorsed a prospective campaign of Powell in the2025 Labour Party deputy leadership election, expressing his dissatisfaction with her removal from the government. Powell later confirmed she was thinking about standing after being encouraged by colleagues.[75] She was an early front-runner in the contest to replace Rayner, with Labour MPs reportedly "coalescing" around her to enter the contest.[76][74] On 9 September 2025, Powell confirmed her candidacy in the election, platforming her campaign on "uniting" the party's "broad voter coalition" and "championing" backbenchers.[77][78][79] The deputy leadership race established Powell as the direct challenger to front-runnerBridget Phillipson, with former Labour MPTom Blenkinsop describing the race as "a proxy war between Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham". Her campaign also saw backing from theTribune Group of soft-left Labour MPs.[80] On 11 September 2025, fellow candidatePaula Barker withdrew from the leadership race, pledging to nominate Powell's campaign instead.[81]
After nominations closed, Powell secured the support of 119 Labour MPs, while Bridget Phillipson received 177; both figures exceeded the 20% parliamentary threshold required to progress to the members’ ballot.[82] At the close of constituency labour party (CLP) and affiliate nominations, Powell had been nominated by 221 CLPs to Phillipson’s 140, and she secured the required backing from affiliated organisations.[83][84] Powell’s campaign won formal endorsement from a number of affiliated organisations, including the trade unions ASLEF, the Communication Workers Union (CWU) and the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), and from socialist society Disability Labour.[85] Her campaign was also reported to have received backing from the soft-leftTribune Group of MPs and theMainstream grouping of MPs.[86] Powell also received support from senior Labour figures inside the cabinet, includingLisa Nandy andEd Miliband, as well as former Labour leaderNeil Kinnock and former cabinet ministerLouise Haigh.[87][88]
Throughout the contest, Powell presented herself as an independent voice for members and backbenchers, arguing that the deputy leader should act as a “shop-steward” for activists and focus on member engagement; she said she would treat the role as a full-time post rather than combine it with ministerial office. Powell rejected characterisations of her campaign as a proxy for external figures and sought to broaden her appeal across the party.[89][90] The campaign included a series of hustings: candidates took part in PLP hustings in mid-September and atLabour Party Conference hustings where Powell and Phillipson set out contrasting visions for the deputy role.[89] Powell’s campaign emphasised unity, internal reform and greater member engagement. She described herself as an “independent voice for members and backbenchers” and argued that the deputy leader should act as a link between the parliamentary party and the wider membership. Drawing on her experience asLeader of the House of Commons, Powell said the role should be primarily political rather than governmental and suggested that being outside the cabinet – and therefore not subject to collective ministerial responsibility – would allow her to “speak truth” to senior leadership and represent members’ and backbenchers’ concerns.[91][92] She stated that, if elected, she would be a full-time deputy leader rather than combining the role with ministerial office, arguing that the position should focus on party organisation and member engagement.[93]
On 25 October 2025, it was announced that Powell had received 87,407 votes, a majority of almost 14,000 on a turnout of 16.6%, becoming the party's deputy leader, winning the election with 54% of the vote.[94]
Prior to theNovember 2025 United Kingdom budget, Powell urged theChancellor of the Exchequer,Rachel Reeves, to uphold the government’s manifesto commitments not to raise National Insurance, VAT, or income tax. She also called for the complete removal of the two-child benefit cap, arguing that doing so was essential to achieving a substantial reduction in child poverty over the course of the Parliament.[95]
Powell has been described as part of thesoft left of the Labour Party and is a member of theTribune Group of Labour MPs as well as theFabian Society.[96][97][98][99] She is also a member ofLabour Friends of Israel.[100] In a 2024 interview, she citedNeil Kinnock,Mo Mowlam,Harriet Harman andEd Miliband as her political influences.[101]
Powell campaigned for the UK to remain in theEuropean Union (EU) in the2016 Brexit referendum and advocated for a "Common Market 2.0"— a soft Brexit model involving single-market and customs union alignment, designed to maintain close economic relations while respecting parliamentary sovereignty.[102] Powell consistently supported measures maintaining close ties to the EU, including backing a confirmatory referendum on any negotiated withdrawal deal.[103][better source needed]
Powell is a lifelong supporter ofManchester City F.C., and has written about her background and political values inThe Guardian.[9]
As of November 2012[update], she lives with her husband, who is a doctor, her step-son and daughter.[104]
In 2021, Powell was named among 115 Members of Parliament identified as landlords. She disputed this characterisation, stating on social media: "I have alodger. I'm not a landlord." Housing lawyer Nick Bano, writing inJacobin, argued that this distinction was legally irrelevant, asserting that lodgers still lack basic housing protections. He described Powell’s response as "defensive" and criticised what he saw as a failure to recognise the potential conflict between rent collection during a housing crisis and the duties of elected representatives.[105]
On 6 July 2024, Powell was appointed to thePrivy Council of the United Kingdom, entitling her to the honorific style "The Right Honourable".[106]
| Parliament of the United Kingdom | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of Parliament forManchester Central 2012–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Years 2013–2014 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office 2014–2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Education 2015–2016 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers 2020–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Housing 2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Shadow Leader of the House of Commons 2023–2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Leader of the House of Commons 2024–2025 | Succeeded by |
| Lord President of the Council 2024–2025 | ||
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Deputy Leader of the Labour Party 2025–present | Incumbent |
