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Labour is ready to announce its fresh deputy leader today, with polls indicating Lucy Powell in front of Bridget Phillipson as balloting closed on the previous Thursday.

The Day's Political Agenda

Here is the politics timeline for Saturday, based on the PA news agency:

• 10:00 AM: The party's deputy chief will be announced in London. Addresses are anticipated following the announcement from the winner and the prime minister.
• 1:00 PM: Protesters from opposing groups are likely to gather in separate areas of London after police banned Ukip activists from assembling in an East London area due to concerns of public unrest.
• Today: Vote counting starts to reveal the next president of the Irish Republic.

Additionally, the Epping Forest MP Neil Hudson is conducting the morning media rounds for the Conservatives.

Election Highlights and Candidate Positions

During the campaign, Lucy Powell often mentioned mistakes made by the Labour Party on issues such as the winter heating payments. In a final message to supporters, she appeared to criticise a command and control approach within the administration, stating that blindly following along was a failure of duty.

If Powell does emerge victorious, the outcome is expected to be seen as a rebuke to the prime minister's governance from Labour members.

The prime minister has already endured a difficult week, marked by a row over the grooming gangs investigation and a loss in the Senedd byelection in Caerphilly.

Labour’s struggles in the polls have sparked doubts among MPs about Starmer’s leadership.

Powell has emphasized that she wants to help Keir and our government to succeed but also told supporters the Labour must change how it functions to turn things around.

In contrast, Bridget Phillipson, regarded as the prime minister's favored choice, has highlighted cohesion, warning that choosing her rival would result in internal debate and divisions that could lead the Labour back to being in opposition.

Additional Political Headlines

• Reducing the annual cash Isa allowance may not persuade savers to invest in stocks but could push up home loan rates, lawmakers have cautioned the chancellor.
• A heavy defeat for Labour in the upcoming council elections could spell the end of Keir Starmer’s premiership, parliamentarians have stated, after the party experienced a crushing defeat in Wales.
• Rishi Sunak was the sole MP provided a witness statement by the deputy national security adviser involved in a dispute over the dismissal of a legal case against two UK nationals accused of espionage for China.

The outcome of the deputy leadership election is scheduled to be announced at 10am BST.