Labour Doesn't Need Another Starmerite

Why Labour Party members should back Bell Ribeiro-Addy over Bridget Phillipson or Lucy Powell.

About a month ago, I left the Labour Party. This was primarily because of that party's shift to the right, and because under Keir Starmer, the party has abandoned its traditions - its roots in solidarity, its commitment to social justice, and its promise to represent working people. The resignation of Angela Rayner was a defining moment for the party, and allows it to do something good. It allows for a pause to listen to its members, to open itself up to new energy and new ideas. Instead, the apparent frontrunner is Bridget Phillipson - a loyal Starmerite who represents continuity, not renewal.

But Labour doesn't need another voice defending the leadership's direction. It needs someone who is prepared to speak for the grassroots, someone unafraid to challenge drift and compromise. That's why Bell Ribeiro-Addy's campaign is so important. It offers members and MPs a real choice between doubling down on managerialism or reigniting the progressive spirit Labour was built on.

Bell Ribeiro-Addy represents the kind of leadership Labour desperately needs. Since becoming an MP in 2019, she has been a fearless voice for social justice by opposing cuts to welfare, standing up for migrants and refugees, and standing in solidarity with the trans community. She has consistently put principle above careerism. Bell speaks with the clarity and courage that come from being grounded in the communities Labour was founded to represent - not the Westminster bubble.

In contrast, Bridget Phillipson may be polished and competent, but her candidacy offers nothing beyond continuity with Starmer's leadership. As Education Secretary, she has echoed the government's framing on culture war issues and avoided taking a bold stand that might upset the establishment. She is seen by many as the safe option because she won't challenge the status quo. But in a moment where Labour is alienating its base, another Starmerite would only deepen the disconnect between the leadership and the grassroots, and it's not a mistake it can afford to make at this stage.

The deputy leadership contest is more than a question of who takes the second seat at the top table. It is a test of what kind of party Labour wants to be: one that continues to play it safe, chasing the right, or one that remembers its roots and speaks with conviction for working people, the marginalised, and the grassroots that built it. Bell Ribeiro-Addy embodies that latter vision. Backing her is about more than choosing a deputy - it is about choosing a Labour Party with the courage to stand for something again.