BURSTBridget Phillipson describes herself as ‘a proud working-class woman’ in statement announcing her bid to replace Angela Rayner
Wes Streeting, the health secretary, hasn’t just been on the Today programme this morning; he has been doing a media round, promoting the new NHS league tables for England, and in other interviews he has revealed more about why he is not committing to backing Bridget Phillipson for deputy leader at this point. (See 8.35am.)
In an interview with Times Radio, Streeting said he would “certainly prefer the next deputy leader to be a woman”.
[Phillipson] would definitely be a great deputy leader if she was chosen. There are other women in the race who I think would also be great deputy leaders. So I’m not endorsing anyone at this stage.
Without being disrespectful to some brilliant women in London who are standing, like Emily Thornberry [whom] I’ve got a lot of respect for, I can well understand why lots of my colleagues are saying we should have a deputy leader from outside London to broaden perspectives, broaden the base.
I haven’t decided yet. I’m delighted Bridget Phillipson has thrown her hat into the ring. She is a brilliant education secretary. We come from very similar working class backgrounds, Bridget in the north-east of England, me in east London, and she has made a big contribution to the Labour party’s success getting elected into government, and she is part of the team that is now delivering change.
There are other candidates who I think also have that kind of background, that kind of campaigning record.
Campaigner in chief is the job of the deputy leader, to ensure the electoral success of the Labour party at the ballot box, in order that we get permission to change communities, locally or the country in the case of general elections, or the Scottish and Welsh elections that are coming up.
That does mean helping Labour’s appeal. It does mean making sure that we are holding our coalition of voters together, and that is the fundamental job.
Continue reading...