Lucy Powell is expected to be crowned Labour’s new deputy leader when results of the contest are announced on Saturday.
Polling suggested the Manchester Central MP enjoyed a healthy lead over Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson as voting closed on Thursday.
During the campaign, Ms Powell frequently referred to “mistakes” made by the party on issues such as the winter fuel allowance.
And in a final message to supporters this week she appeared to criticise a “command and control” culture within Government, arguing that “blindly following along” was “a dereliction of our duty to defeat the politics of hate and division”.
If Ms Powell does emerge victorious, the result is likely to be seen as a rebuke to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership from Labour members, more than half of whom now believe the party is heading in the wrong direction.
The Prime Minister has already endured a difficult week, dominated by a row over the grooming gangs inquiry and capped with defeat in a Senedd by-election in Caerphilly, a seat held by Labour for a century.
Labour’s struggles in the polls have already led to some questions among backbenchers about Sir Keir’s leadership of the party.
Ms Powell has stressed that she wants to “help Keir and our Government to succeed” but also told supporters the party “must change how we are doing things to turn things around”.
Meanwhile, Ms Phillipson, seen as Number 10’s preferred candidate for the deputy leadership, has stressed unity, warning that voting for her opponent would result in “internal debate and divisions that leads us back to opposition”.
The result of the deputy leadership election is expected to be announced on Saturday morning.
