Lucy Powell

Lucy Maria Powell (born 10 October 1974)[1] is a British Labour and Co-operative politician and Member of Parliament for Manchester Central in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. She has been the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party since 2025.


Lucy Powell

Official portrait of Lucy Powell MP crop 2, 2024.jpg
Official portrait, 2024
Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
Assumed office
25 October 2025
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byAngela Rayner
Leader of the House of Commons
Lord President of the Council
In office
5 July 2024 – 5 September 2025
Prime MinisterKeir Starmer
Preceded byPenny Mordaunt
Succeeded byAlan Campbell
Chair of the Commons Modernisation Committee
In office
9 September 2024 – 5 September 2025
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byAlan Campbell
Shadow cabinet positions
Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
In office
4 September 2023 – 5 July 2024
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byThangam Debbonaire
Succeeded byChris Philp
Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
In office
29 November 2021 – 4 September 2023
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byJo Stevens
Succeeded byThangam Debbonaire
Shadow Secretary of State for Housing
In office
9 May 2021 – 29 November 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byThangam Debbonair
Succeeded byLisa Nandy
Shadow Secretary of State for Education
In office
13 September 2015 – 27 June 2016
LeaderJeremy Corbyn
Preceded byTristram Hunt
Succeeded byPat Glass
Junior shadow portfolios
Shadow Minister for Business and Consumers
In office
6 April 2020 – 9 May 2021
LeaderKeir Starmer
Preceded byBill Esterson
Succeeded bySeema Malhotra
Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
In office
5 November 2014 – 14 September 2015
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded byMichael Dugher
Succeeded byTom Watson
Shadow Minister for Childcare and Early Years
In office
7 October 2013 – 5 November 2014
LeaderEd Miliband
Preceded bySharon Hodgson
Succeeded byAlison McGovern
Member of Parliament
for Manchester Central
Assumed office
15 November 2012
Preceded byTony Lloyd
Majority13,797 (34.7%)
Personal details
Born
Lucy Maria Powell

10 October 1974 (aged 51)
Moss Side, Manchester, England
Political partyLabour Co-op
Spouse(s)James Williamson
Children2
EducationParrs Wood High School
Xaverian College
Alma materSomerville College, Oxford
King's College London
WebsiteOfficial website

She was first elected at the Manchester Central by-election in November 2012. In September 2015 she was appointed Shadow Secretary of State for Education in Jeremy Corbyn's shadow cabinet, but resigned in June 2016.

In the aftermath of the Labour Party’s landslide victory in 2024 general election, Powell was appointed the Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council by the new Prime Minister Keir Starmer on 5 July.[2]

Powell put her name forward as a candidate for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party on 9 September 2025.[3] She beat Bridget Phillipson on 25 October 2025, winning the election with 54.3% of the vote.[4]

Lucy Powell Media

References

  1. The Next Generation: Parliamentary Candidates to Watch (2009)Insight Public Affairs. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  2. Who's in Keir Starmer's new cabinet? (in en-gb). BBC News (2024-07-05). Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  3. Crerar, Pippa (9 September 2025). "Phillipson the frontrunner as six female Labour MPs enter deputy leader race". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2025/sep/09/bridget-phillipson-labour-deputy-leader-race. Retrieved 9 September 2025. 
  4. Lucy Powell elected Labour's deputy leader. BBC News (25 October 2025). Retrieved 25 October 2025.