If Lucy Powell is appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister of this government, it could mark the first time that an incumbent of the role has refused a ministerial position. Her reasoning for this is to give her the time to focus her efforts on representing the party, away from the obligations of government.
In an interview with The New Statesman, she maintained that she will be permitted to attend all Cabinet meetings if elected despite opting out of a ministerial role.
In recent times, Powell has questioned the decision-making of this Labour government, bemoaning their lack of purpose and criticising the “groupthink” in Downing Street.
Whilst her aim of reconnecting the government to the party appears credible, her opting out of a position in the upper echelons of government may be influenced by an ulterior motive: to maintain a distance from the Cabinet whilst simultaneously growing support within the party.
Since the start of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, the Labour faithful have grown increasingly irate at the lack of a clear left-of-centre direction for the party. Now, with a Cabinet that has shifted to the right, that dissent could easily grow.
Angela Rayner inhabited the role Powell covets to good effect during her 14 months as Deputy PM. Clearly ideologically opposed to certain decisions made by her Prime Minister and the government, she upheld her trade union affiliation and northern identity whilst fulfilling her role as Secretary of State for Housing. Held in high regard by many of the members despite the government’s unpopularity in its first year, she appeared the likely candidate to replace the Prime Minister if he stepped down before her untimely resignation.
If appointed, Powell will surely aim to imitate this, except she will refuse a role in government if offered. For her personally, this seems a shrewd position to hold. When Rayner was appointed Deputy PM and Housing Minister, the party were floating on the crest of a landslide victory and held the belief that things could only improve after 14 years of Tory misery.
Now, after the first phase of Starmer’s premiership, which has seen approval ratings plummet and speeches likened to those of Enoch Powell, Powell has decided her appetite for a ministerial position has subsided, despite her sacking as Leader of the House of Commons just over a month ago. Her position as spokesperson for the members, whilst being perceived as exterior to a faltering government, could enhance her future leadership credentials just as it did for Angela Rayner.
The title of Deputy Leader of the Labour Party is unique in that it allows space for different views at the top of the party, as seen with Rayner and Starmer or Blair and Prescott. In these cases, the role was used to provide a bridge between the traditional core of working-class voters and a mostly middle-class government. This composition of party leadership has been criticised by some within the Labour Party, as it provides different factions of the party with two power bases, contributing to a persistent infighting problem.
There remains the possibility that Starmer could prohibit Powell’s path to Downing Street, as he is not obligated to promote the Deputy Leader of the party to the role of Deputy Prime Minister. However, a decision of this magnitude would inflame the grievances of an already disgruntled party membership and could cause a monumental rift between the party and the government.
With Powell appearing favourite for the position whilst simultaneously criticising a leadership that wishes for Bridget Phillipson to be elected to the role, this warring of ideologies may be about to get worse, especially if the government remains on its current trajectory.