Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has emerged as the frontrunner among six Labour MPs vying to be the party’s next deputy leader.

Those wanting to step into Angela Rayner’s stylish shoes need to secure the backing of 80 MPs by 17:00 on Thursday – a tight timetable which has been criticised by some in Labour.

By the end of Tuesday, Phillipson had gathered 44 supporters, followed by former Commons leader Lucy Powell with 35 names, and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, a member of Labour’s Socialist Campaign Group, was in third place with eight.

Foreign Affairs Committee chair Dame Emily Thornberry had seven backers, backbencher Paula Barker three, and Housing Minister Alison McGovern only two.

The contest will impact the future direction of Labour, as the party grapples with political competition from the left and right.

In addition to getting backing from their parliamentary colleagues, the candidates will also need the backing of either 5% of local parties, or three Labour-affiliated groups, including two unions.

Those who clear the bar face a vote by party members, with the winner announced on 25 October.

The party is planning hustings at its annual conference at the end of September, giving candidates the chance to make their pitch to Labour members.

Phillipson, the only member of the Cabinet to announce her intention to stand so far, would be expected to be more supportive of the government than rival candidates.

On Tuesday, she told the TUC conference she would ensure Rayner’s Employment Bill was not watered down, pledging “no ifs, no buts, we will implement the Bill in full”.

Phillipson was first elected as the MP for Houghton and Sunderland in 2010, becoming shadow education secretary in 2021, and then education secretary when Labour won power last year.

Announcing her decision to run, Phillipson described herself as a “proud working-class woman from the North East” who would fight “the dangers Reform poses our country”.

“Because make no mistake: We are in a fight,” she said. “But not only am I ready for it: I’ve proven we can do it.

“I’ve shown we can beat Farage in the North East, while staying true to the Labour Party’s values of equality, fairness and social justice.”

Lucy Powell, who was sacked as the government’s leader of the House of Commons last Friday, said she had decided to stand after receiving “much encouragement”.

“Living with my family in my home city, Manchester, has rooted my politics in an understanding of people’s everyday hopes and fears,” she added.

“As our deputy leader, I would ensure these are at the heart of what we do and how we operate, bringing together all parts of the party and uniting our broad voter coalition.”

Ribeiro-Addy, a backbencher from the left of the party who represents Clapham and Brixton Hill, is among those who have criticised the timetable of the contest.

“It is absolutely unfair, and I don’t think it’s what the membership want,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, adding that Labour needed to have a discussion about “what’s gone wrong” with the party’s direction.

She has previously voted against the government, including on its benefits cuts and decision to ban Palestine Action as a terrorist group, and said many Labour members and voters were also unhappy about UK’s position on the war in Gaza and cuts to welfare.

Earlier this year, the government tried to implement changes that would have save £5.5bn a year by 2030 from the benefits budget, however it was forced into a U-turn following a rebellion by backbench Labour MPs.

Ribeiro-Addy could struggle to win enough nominations from MPs to make it to the next stage of the contest, but if she were elected, she would likely be a critical voice of the Starmer government.

Declaring her intention to stand, Dame Emily signalled that, if successful, she would not give the leadership an easy ride.

The Islington South and Finsbury MP said in a post on social media: “We fought hard for a Labour government, but we’ve made mistakes and must listen.

“I will be a voice for the membership, unions, PLP, and our constituents – not just nod along.”

Dame Emily was the party’s shadow attorney general when Labour was in opposition, but was not given a government job by Sir Keir Starmer when the party entered office, instead becoming chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee.

Among her key issues, she listed welfare, Gaza, changes to special education needs and disabilities support and a wealth tax.

Some Labour MPs, as well as the head of the TUC union umbrella group, have urged the government to consider taxes on the rich when it produces its Budget in November.

Liverpool Wavertree MP Paula Barker said she had decided to run because she was “worried about the lack of geographical and political diversity at the top of our party”.

She said Labour could not take on Reform UK “at their own game”.

“Instead we need to go back to our true Labour values, which means fighting for our public services, putting workers back at the heart of our agenda and fulfilling our promise to prioritise people over profit,” she added.

McGovern, a housing minister and the MP for Birkenhead, said the country faced “a huge threat from the dark forces of right-wing populism,” adding: “We will only defeat that threat by giving people real hope and pride in our diverse country.”

She said she believed she would be able to “shape our story, communicating our values in a way that resonates across the Labour family and with the public”.

So far no male candidates have announced their intention to run, and some senior figures in the party, including former deputy leader Harriet Harman, have said the position should be held by a woman.

Baroness Harman said Labour – which has never had a permanent female leader – needed a deputy who could “broaden the reach of the leader and galvanise the party”.

Speaking on BBC Newsnight, former Home Secretary Lord Blunkett said he had “suggested suspending the deputy leadership campaign” until the Labour party had done a “full review of what the post is all about”.

Lord Blunkett said: “I’ve been a member of the Labour Party for over 60 years, it always loves internalising, it always loves the internal campaign against each other and we’ve really got to get off it.”

But whoever wins the contest, David Lammy will remain as deputy prime minister – a role which is appointed by the prime minister, rather than decided by Labour Party members.

Last week, Rayner resigned from the role, as well as her post as housing secretary, after admitting she failed to pay enough tax on her £800,000 flat in Hove.

Sir Laurie Magnus, the PM’s ethics adviser, found she did get legal advice when buying the property, but failed to seek further expert tax advice as recommended.

Rayner said she took “full responsibility for this error”, adding: “It was never my intention to do anything other than pay the right amount.”