Bridget Phillipson: I wouldn’t be here without Labour governments. They spurred me on my journey from a tough council street in the north-east all the way to the cabinet. We had no heating upstairs when I was growing up, and we struggled with damp. But that story’s not unique: it’s shared by so many working people across Britain.

That’s why I have been fighting for changes that will make a difference to working families. Such as reviving Sure Start for a new generation, funding childcare from nine months old, rolling out free breakfast clubs, expanding free school meals for half a million more children and capping the branded items schools can require. Together these changes save working-class families thousands of pounds.

As co-chair of the Child Poverty Taskforce, I am clear everything is on the table, including removing the two-child limit. As deputy leader I would continue fighting for policies that change the lives of working people: investment in public services, ensuring the full delivery of our employment rights bill so people get fair pay for a fair day’s work – change that makes Labour members proud of this government, proud to campaign, proud to win again.

Lucy Powell: The cost of living crisis, Covid, austerity and the global financial crisis have all hit working-class communities hardest. Each has deepened inequalities in class, region, education and opportunity. Addressing this is what this Labour government is about.

We have an economy that serves the few, not the many – a “trickle-down” model that needs rewiring. I want to see a much stronger sense that tackling economic inequality and fairness unites everything we do. That’s one of the reasons I strongly support lifting the two-child benefit cap at the forthcoming budget, looking at Gordon Brown’s measures on gambling taxes to pay for it.

As deputy, I would help to seize back the political megaphone to set the terms of the debate, being clear about what we are doing to reshape the economy in the interests of working-class communities – buses and trains back in public hands, a new energy company, GB Energy, owned by us all, more dignity and security in work and at home with the employment bill and renters rights bill.

The job of the deputy leader isn’t to write a separate budget or policy programme but to ensure that our values shine through, and what we are doing is rooted in the communities we are here to serve.

Stephen Heinson: Sadly, neither candidate seems able to acknowledge that the cost of living crisis is really a crisis of our failed economic model. There’s a direct link between declining living standards and unrestrained corporate greed: the private energy companies skimming off huge profits from ballooning household bills, for instance, or the property developers and letting agents cashing in on renters’ misery in a broken housing market. Tackling this crisis meaningfully would mean defying the corporate interests of Labour’s CEO donors.

BP: The Labour movement has been defined for generations by our core values – solidarity, compassion, fairness and social justice.

As deputy leader, I’d campaign with hope and optimism, underpinned always by those Labour values that mean so much to our members. We should be proud of our values – proud to stand up for them, never ashamed of them.

The far right feeds off fear and negativity, exploiting the struggles of people across the country and offering false solutions and empty promises. Let me be clear: we won’t win by parroting the language of Reform UK and Nigel Farage.

We are Labour and we must govern, campaign, and win as Labour. We must deliver on the change that we promised voters so we can build the society we all want to see. That means expanding free school meals, renewing Sure Start and reforming employment rights to make work pay.

It is only a united Labour party, the greatest vehicle for social justice this country has ever seen, that can deliver real change in our communities and country.

LP: Fighting the forces of division and hate is the challenge of our age. The future of our democracy depends on us winning the battle of hearts and minds, showing that mainstream progressive politics is a force for change. We’ve got to up our game. As deputy leader I would help Labour do that.

We shouldn’t try to out-Reform Reform UK. Nigel Farage wants the country to believe that immigrants are the root cause of all our problems. I wholeheartedly reject that. Yes, we need secure and strong borders as a foundation of a secure and fair country, but the reasons for deep-seated inequalities go much deeper.

We need to seize back the political megaphone and set out far more strongly our diagnosis of what is really wrong with this country, and what Labour is doing to fix it. We have an economy that hasn’t worked for ordinary people for decades. From Margaret Thatcher to austerity, Covid and the energy crisis, those with wealth and assets have done well. For everyone else, life has got harder and less secure.

We need to show that every single thing we are doing is in service of addressing this – to tell our own story about how we’re fixing the real problems.

Dominique Standring: Reading the answers side by side, my sense is that Lucy Powell has answered the question better in that she has identified that Reform are winning the battle of hearts and minds – and that Labour’s message is not cutting through. Bridget Phillipson talks of Labour’s values being “solidarity, compassion, fairness, and social justice”, but I have not seen much evidence of this with the Labour government: from its stance on family reunification for those with visas to the genocide in Gaza and focus on ID cards. Crucially, neither of them have answered the “how” part of my question in any detail.

BP: I’ve always believed in progressive taxation – it’s at the core of building a fairer and more equal society. The nature of our economy has been changing, with more people earning money from the wealth they hold; we have started to address that through the changes on carried interest, by increasing capital gains tax. And of course through non-dom reforms – you can’t simply be allowed to opt out of paying your fair share.

It’s right that we all pay a fair share to deliver a better public realm, and that the broadest shoulders carry the greater burden. In government, I’ve put those values into action already, taking on the private school lobby to end tax breaks so we can invest in state education. I’ve been pilloried for it across the rightwing press, but I’ll never back down on that. I’m not afraid to take on vested interests to improve public services.

The chancellor sets and makes our policies on taxation, but with a seat at the cabinet table and as deputy leader, I’d be relentlessly focused on pushing for more investment in public services so we can fix the foundations of our society and give everyone the best chance in life.

LP: Let’s be honest, we need to tell a much stronger story about fairness and addressing inequalities, and whose side we are on. That must run through everything we do, including the budget.

We have an economy in which those with assets and wealth do very well, yet for ordinary working people or those on fixed incomes, life has got harder and harder. Turning that round should be at the core of what this – and any – Labour government is about.

That’s why I’ve been clear that the two-child benefit cap needs to be lifted. It’s also why we need to recognise how trust in us has been damaged by mistakes on the winter fuel allowance and proposed cuts to Pip. These measures did not seem fair. We need to give a much clearer sense of whose side we are on – and in whose interests we are governing.

It’s not my job to write the budget, but it will be my job to ensure that what we do is connected with the views and experiences of our broad movement and the communities we seek to serve.

Norma Spark: Bridget Phillipson cites steps the Labour government has taken or is taking to address tax inequity – all of which I applaud, but I hope Labour can be bolder. Lucy Powell recognises the need for Labour to “tell a better story” and acknowledge the mistakes it has made. This doesn’t address the benefits or pitfalls of a wealth tax.

Last year, the G20 leaders agreed to engage cooperatively to ensure high net-worth individuals are effectively taxed. Neil Kinnock advocates an annual wealth tax of 2% on people with wealth of more than £10m. And Gordon Brown is advocating raising tax on the UK gambling industry to lift 500,000 children out of poverty. Though the deputy leader of the Labour party does not set the budget, they do have an important seat at the table. In advocating for options for a wealth tax, both candidates could signal their commitment to a more equitable and fair society and tell a good story!

BP: I know this government has made mistakes – I won’t pretend otherwise, but I will promote our achievements. I have fought for policies that are true to Labour values – investing in state education by ending private schools’ tax breaks, reviving Sure Start, rolling out free breakfast clubs.

I have argued for policies true to my values, to Labour’s values, and I worked with Angela Rayner doing the same. She challenged us as ministers to always go further for working people, to be impatient for the change they deserve. With my own mandate as deputy leader, I would continue that role. But I absolutely refuse to pit one area of our country against another. It’s the role of the deputy leader to bring all the parts of our party together, from every corner of our country.

Last year I campaigned up and down the country to get Labour candidates elected, I’ve not stopped as education secretary and I won’t stop as deputy leader. With local elections and elections in Wales and Scotland around the corner, the role is going to be more important than ever.

LP: This isn’t about personalities, it’s about how we use power effectively after 14 years out of government, and we have some achievements to shout about. The problem is they are being drowned out by unforced errors. Anyone who knows me knows I’m a straight talker, unafraid to be an honest voice. I told home truths on welfare, and maybe it wasn’t well received, but it won’t stop me speaking truth to power. But I won’t snipe from the sidelines or take to the airwaves.

Discussion isn’t dissent – it’s vital if we’re to rebuild our electoral coalition. I really want this government to succeed. With the mandate of members I would have a strong, independent role, outside but alongside government. It’s a responsibility I would take very seriously and use wisely, but I think it’s self-evident that we can do better.

There’s been too much groupthink, disconnected from the voices, talents and experiences of all of our broad movement, which is Labour’s strength. I’ll be that bridge with our members and elected representatives, pushing us all to be the best version of a Labour government we can be.

Lee Stringfellow: All Bridget Phillipson has done with her answer is given a response Starmer would want me to hear. She has zero credibility as a serving minister to fight against the wrong decisions and actually listen to members.

As for Lucy Powell: what is wrong with a little discord and actually saying what you believe – and indeed, what the party members and voters believe? This government has tied itself in knots with its no-sense fiscal rules and left itself with little room to manoeuvre; and all the while, who suffers? Normal taxpayers.

We are heading for electoral oblivion sooner than we think if we do not grasp the nettle this year with some zinger policies that outflank Reform. Powell answered the better of the two – but I suspect Starmer will sideline her. Thanks for your answers, but this longtime Labour voter is now considering the Lib Dems.

BP: Back in 2016 I argued that Brexit would inflict serious economic damage on areas such as Sunderland. No part of the UK had more at stake than the north-east of England. That’s why I campaigned for remain and was one of the first MPs to call for a second referendum on the details of the deal.

But those decisions are in the past – we need to focus on the future. What businesses need most now is certainty to drive economic growth and stability. The progress we have made securing an SPS trade deal with the EU is essential for British businesses, as are the protections secured for British steel. In my own portfolio we’re working on opportunities to once again boost educational exchange through schemes like Erasmus+, but of course there is more to do.

I will say that I think we need to change this debate and challenge toxicity. Reform are far too happy to whip up anger about immigration, and I won’t do it. My family came to Britain as immigrants, and our story is shared across this country. I want to campaign and win on Labour values, not use the language of Reform.

LP: I voted remain, and worked cross-party during the Brexit years on a proposal called Common Market 2.0, because I felt strongly that we needed to respect the outcome of the referendum, even though it was not what I voted for. One of the main reasons why we ended up with Boris Johnson as prime minister and a hard Brexit, losing so much of the so-called red wall, is because we didn’t listen and accept that a majority voted to leave and wanted Brexit.

We shouldn’t reopen old wounds but focus on how we can make that botched Brexit deal better so ordinary people can feel the benefits – whether that’s action on e-gates to ease travel, closer ties on goods to lower food prices, or joint action on defence, security and irregular migration.

People voted for Brexit, they voted for Johnson – and they voted for us in 2024 because they want change: more control over their lives and an economy that works for them, not just those at the top. The most important thing now is that we deliver the change people voted for.

Toby Hannam: This is very much the party line response. The fact is we are willingly economically harming ourselves with the appalling deal Johnson and David Frost made. This idea that nothing can be done is symptomatic of the utter capitulation Labour have allowed. They’re too frightened to go near the issue due to the howling of the press and Reform – even when the benefits to the country are so clear.

The deals that the government have obtained in office are such small beer. Other countries use the customs union and are not in the EU. Personally I would rejoin tomorrow. Without the significant improvement that the customs union could bring, our economy will continue to stumble on anaemically. The massive rebuilding that Labour wants to achieve won’t happen because they need at least another term. 

BP: Labour’s £39bn social and affordable homes programme aims to deliver 300,000 new homes, 60% of them, or 180,000, for social rent – including new council homes. This is six times more than delivered in the past decade. It’s the biggest increase to social housing in a generation.

I grew up in a council house in Washington, Sunderland, raised by a single mother and reliant on free school meals. I know first-hand the importance of council housing.

Angela Rayner’s sense of the urgency of this was exceptional – she knew, as I do, that children need secure, warm, dry and safe homes in order to have the childhood and the opportunities all of us deserve.

The changes Angela announced to the right to buy scheme – protecting existing social housing stock to meet housing need and delivering a fairer, more sustainable scheme – are essential. Councils will be able to retain 100% of receipts from the sale of right to buy so it can be invested in delivering more social homes.

I’ve secured more than £600m to boost construction skills to ensure we have the workers we need to build housing – including introducing new construction technical excellence colleges in each region of the country.

LP: We have committed to building more council housing – the biggest such commitment in a generation. Maybe people don’t hear enough about the good things Labour are doing, and that’s something I will seek to put right.

The legacy Angela Rayner leaves on housing is a great one. As well as being a colleague and friend, I saw up close what an effective minister she was. More social homes, changes to right to buy so we don’t lose as much stock as we have been doing, a massive housebuilding programme and much more. Having a secure home is the bedrock of everything.

In government I led on legislation, and I was proud we included a strengthened renters rights bill in the king’s speech.

Sarah Woods: Bridget Phillipson has helpfully provided figures, but this raises further questions. The social and affordable homes programme has a 2035 horizon. Is the intention to build 18,000 council houses a year? According to Shelter England, as of 2023-24, there are 1.33m households on the social housing waiting list. In that year, their figures show a net loss of homes for social rent of 650. I am very glad to hear of the changes to protect existing stock from right to buy, but there will still be a loss through housing stock deterioration. Unfortunately, a considerable “Brexit benefit” was to lose free movement of workers, leaving a hole in construction capacity. It is good to see that Bridget Phillipson has secured funds to boost construction skills. However, this doesn’t deal with the immediate problem.

Lucy Powell raises a very valid point on Labour’s messaging. I would like to see clearer messaging – Green party leader Zack Polanski is a breath of fresh air, showing how it’s done.

Both candidates agree on the importance of a secure home. My husband and many of my schoolfriends were raised in council housing. The costs to this country from the failure of successive governments to replenish this asset are immense. A Labour government should be building with the rapidity of the 1950s, when 200,000 council houses were built annually.

BP: The climate crisis is the biggest challenge facing humanity. I’m proud of the strong climate action this Labour government has taken to bring down emissions, showing leadership on a global stage.

The weakening of the global consensus on the urgency of climate action is profoundly troubling, and Labour must continue to show that leadership. This is another example of where I’ll be ensuring we stay true to our values. I want the world of tomorrow to be a world worth living in, not a planet on fire, and the responsibility falls to us to make that happen today.

We’re already seeing the effects of global warming – wildfires, failing carbon sinks, flooding. But with decisive action it’s not too late to turn things around. We simply must not let ourselves be blown off course by climate deniers and opponents criticising our vital net zero policies.

LP: We have a strong agenda on the environment, and I’m proud to have Ed Miliband’s backing to be the next deputy leader. Ensuring there’s a just transition, tackling the climate crisis and achieving clean power by 2030 is a huge task, but one that Labour is up for.

It’s not the job of the deputy leader to write an alternative policy manifesto – we were just elected with a strong programme on climate and nature. As deputy leader I would make sure that Labour is shouting about what we’re doing to improve our environment and motor ahead to net zero – and call out the backwards policies of Reform and the Tories, which would cost jobs and investment and worsen the climate and nature crisis.

Sigurdur Bennett: Repeated failure of Earth’s carbon sinks now seems to be a serious possibility, which is frightening. Not that you’d know it from the candidates’ responses. Which might explain why the government may incentivise further North Sea oil drilling. What can you say about such an initiative? Only that it’s insane.