MU nominates Bridget Philipson for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
After an extensive and thought provoking debate, the MU’s Executive Committee has today voted to nominate Bridget Philipson for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.
The MU’s nomination does not impact on how individual MU members choose to cast their own votes.
The merits of both candidates – Bridget Philipson and Lucy Powell – were discussed at length and support for both women was expressed in the room.
The MU would also like to thank Angela Rayner for all of her work, especially her dedication to the Employment Rights Bill that is so important to all trade unions. She will be greatly missed.
How MU members can vote in Labour Party Deputy Leadership contest
MU members who have been members of the union for at least six months AND who pay into the political fund will be entitled to an individual vote in the contest as long as they meet the Labour Party’s eligibility criteria (eg. Members will have to declare that they support the aims of the Labour Party and must not be a member of any other political party).
The election will be run by the Labour Party by email. Ballot papers are likely to be sent out at some point in October, but we will provide more details as we get them.
More detail on the candidates
The MU has a relationship with both Bridget and Lucy, with Lucy having previously been Shadow Secretary of State for Culture and Bridget as the current Education Secretary.
Both women were very collaborative during the National Policy Forum meetings that led up to the General Election Manifesto, and included pro music policies in their commitments.
Read about Labour Party Election Manifesto Makes Clear Policy Commitments to Musicians
Both candidates have sent statements to the Union, with excerpts below.
Bridget Philipson:
- I am running for Deputy Leader to unite our Party to change our country. Regardless of background, everyone should be able to enjoy the best of British culture. I am driving this forward as Education Secretary, with the belief that your background should not determine what you can achieve in life.
- Music plays a central part in my life. I’m an avid gig-goer – I love the intimacy of our small, local venues and the roaring crowds of our arenas and stadiums. Growing up, I was lucky enough to learn to play the violin. Not necessarily the most talented, but always committed and enthusiastic! Music is an essential part of supporting children and young people to develop creativity and the confidence to speak up and speak out. It was one of the ways my Mam encouraged me to battle my shyness.
- Under the Tories, too many children were denied the chance to find that creative spark and I am determined to see that change. I’ve started by delivering the Music Opportunities pilot, working hand in hand with the music sector to inspire the next generation of British musicians and to ensure the arts remain a cornerstone of our national identity, open to all.
- And I will go further. Not leaving music as an add on to be enjoyed by those who can afford to pay, but part of every child’s learning. That’s the difference that I know a Labour government makes. My life wouldn’t be the same without it. Labour governments took me from a council house in the northeast to the Cabinet.
- Music brings opportunity. Our creative industries are worth billions to the UK, employing around 2.5 million people in skilled jobs across our country. That's why I’ve been making apprenticeships shorter, more flexible to open up these opportunities. And why I’m proud to be sponsoring the Employment Rights Bill which will transform conditions for workers across our creative industries: banning exploitative zero hours contracts, giving self-employed workers the right to a written contract, and protecting workers with health and safety requirements for hirers and liability for third-party harassment.
- I want to work with you to secure the growth of our creative industries - including making sure that new technologies enhance rather than undercut your work. I know you will be worried about the impact of AI. I cannot commit now to solve these challenges, but I can promise my door will always be open to work with you to bridge the gap with tech companies and ensure we have fair regulation that protects musicians and producers.
- Music is central to my life and my community in Sunderland, a city pulling itself up by its bootstraps with its new ‘Music City’ status – proudly home to bands like the Futureheads and Frankie & the Heartstrings and now looking forward, nurturing new talent, creating a buzzing scene. I want that buzz to be part of the fabric of all our towns and cities. That right across the country there are thriving music venues, partnerships with schools and a pipeline through further and higher education for our sound engineers as well as performers and producers.
- We’ve started the work of driving change. It’s time to make Labour members proud of our party — to knock on doors and talk about the opportunities a Labour government brings, looking forward and outward, to change Britain for good.
Lucy Powell:
- It is my honour to ask the Musicians Union to nominate me for the position of Deputy Leader. I am a proud trade unionist, and I value greatly the positive role the MU plays, always punching above its weight in influence.
- I was born and grew up in Manchester, the city where the MU was founded in 1893. It is a city famous for its musical heritage, which has given me a life-long love of music. From my Hacienda days, I have remained a regular gig and festival goer, even when I was a member of the Cabinet, because live music has a power like no other to bring joy and togetherness. I've been to nearly every Glastonbury festival since 1993! The Oasis gigs this summer brought my whole city, and the rest of the country together.
- But there is no music without musicians, and yet your remuneration is often overlooked when everyone else at an event is getting paid. That is why I support the MU's campaign for better rates for musicians and argued for more support for the creative industries and arts during my time as Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2021 to 2023. I also successfully led against the privatisation of Channel 4 and in favour of the licence fee and public service broadcasting. I understand the important role that the BBC plays in the lives of many musicians.
- As Deputy Leader my door will always be open to the MU. I will be a vocal presence within the Party leadership arguing for the issues that concern MU members, from enhancing music education in schools, to supporting grass roots venues; from making it easier to tour in Europe, to ensuring that musicians, songwriters and composers are paid when their creative output is used by others.
- I always have, and I always will, fight for our party, our movement and our values. As Deputy Leader I want to be a voice for the progressive change and the hope that Labour has always delivered when we're at our best. I'll be the champion of our members, unions and elected representatives, a bridge between our movement and our leadership. A strong, independent voice.
- I want this Labour Government to succeed, and sometimes that means speaking plainly - not sniping from the sidelines but ensuring we listen, and act on what we hear. When we don't listen we make mistakes that overshadow our achievements.
- In government I was in charge of legislation - I was particularly proud to help steer the Employment Rights Bill through and bring the greatest step forward in workers' rights in a generation in the teeth of fierce opposition from the other parties. That is a reminder of the high stakes at play.
- Now, doing the Deputy Leader job full-time outside the constraints of Government, I can be laser focussed on connecting with our communities. When we include more voices and experiences, we make decisions which hold true to our values. That's how we'll change the country. We shouldn't see this contest as something to avoid, but an opportunity for a healthy debate about how we can do better.