Labour deputy leadership hopefuls Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell took to the decks last night at the LGBT+ Labour disco during the Labour Party Conference.

Phillipson and Powell, vying to replace Angela Rayner as Labour’s deputy leader following her resignation earlier this month, played a mixture of classic pop and queer anthems.

Aubrey Allegretti, Chief Political Correspondent for The Times, reported that Phillipson opened with Believe by Cher. Additional set list tracks included: Blondie - Heart of Glass; ABBA - Vouslez-Vous; Wham - Club Tropicana; and Depeche Mode - Just Can’t Get Enough.

Lucy Powell had the "biggest crowd pleaser", with Charlie XCX, as well as Kylie - Love at First Sight; Years and Years - King; and Lady Gaga & Ariana Grande - Rain On Me.

Reactions on social media were mostly negative with one user writing "This is a high level of cringe"; another user added "Is it any wonder the government are so utterly useless!"

Labour’s recent record on trans rights has been marked by a mix of progressive pledges and controversial decisions that have sparked division within the party and concern among LGBTQ+ advocates. While Labour has committed to banning trans conversion practices and reforming the Gender Recognition Act to simplify the legal transition process, it has stopped short of supporting self-identification and continues to require a medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria.

The party has also backed the Supreme Court ruling that defines sex in the Equality Act as biological, effectively allowing trans women to be excluded from women-only spaces. This stance, echoed by senior figures including Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting, has led to criticism from trans rights groups.

Following the controversial ruling, Phillipson stated that trans women should use male toilets and that services should be accessed on the basis of biological sex. Powell welcomed the guidance, stating that while inclusion is the default, there are circumstances where “inclusion doesn’t trump safety or fair competition”.

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Graham Robson
Graham Robson

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