Allin-Khan enters race for Labour deputy leader
The shadow sport minister says the party needs to listen with ‘humility’ to voters who abandoned it at the general election.
Shadow sport minister Rosena Allin-Khan has become the latest candidate to enter the race to succeed Tom Watson as deputy Labour leader.
Launching her bid, Dr Allin-Khan, the MP for Tooting who still works as a practising A&E doctor, said the party needed to listen with “humility” to voters who abandoned the party at last month’s general election.
“It is vital that we restore trust in the Labour Party across the country. It is clear that people did not trust us – we need to accept this fact, evaluate it, and learn from it in order to move forward,” she said.
“We cannot put words into people’s mouths. Our path back to power involves listening with humility to those former Labour voters who have abandoned the party.
“I believe my life experience means I can help our movement do this. As a doctor, I cannot guess or assume what is wrong with a patient – I have to listen to their symptoms and investigate the root causes.
“This is what we must do as a party, and is what I will do as deputy leader.”
Dr Allin-Khan’s announcement makes her the fifth candidate to declare in the contest to become deputy leader.
She is up against shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon, shadow equalities secretary Dawn Butler and shadow Europe minister Khalid Mahmood.
On Monday the party’s ruling National Executive Committee agreed the timetable for the leadership and deputy leadership elections, with the results to be announced at a special conference on April 4.
