Labour deputy leader election information for CWU MEMBERS

Dear Colleague,

As you may be aware, the Labour Party is holding an election for the Deputy Leadership of the party. This email sets out who is entitled to a vote, how you can receive a ballot and information regarding the CWU’s nominated candidate, Lucy Powell.

The ballot will take place between Wednesday the 8th of October and Thursday 23rd of October, with the result being announced on Saturday 25th of October.

The CWU’s nomination

Though members are free to vote for the candidate they wish, the CWU’s National Executive Council voted last week to endorse Lucy Powell for the position of Deputy Leadership. Alongside her previous work with our North West region, Lucy has outlined her commitment to implementing the New Deal for Workers in full, including cracking down on bogus self-employment and sectoral bargaining in multiple sectors, going beyond the current legislation introduced through the Employment Rights Bill. She has also committed to not undertaking a frontbench position if she is elected Deputy Leader so that she can openly advocate for the Labour Party membership and affiliates and be critical regarding areas in which the Government needs to improve. She has also given assurances that she will improve Labour Party democracy and Labour Conference, bringing the demands of the trade unions to the leadership of the Labour Party.

We urge all eligible members to use your vote in this election and we recommend that you vote for Lucy Powell, who is the only candidate standing on a platform for a change in direction for this Government.

Who is entitled to a vote?

As we are affiliated to the Labour Party, all eligible levy-paying CWU members (who are not already Labour Party members) are entitled to a vote in this election. CWU members will be considered eligible for a vote if you meet all of the following requirements:

-       You have at least six months continuous membership of the CWU;

-       You have opted into the political levy

-       You otherwise meet the conditions for membership of the Labour Party (i.e. you have not stood against the Labour Party in an election or been expelled from the Labour Party)

-       You are registered on the electoral roll

Eligible CWU members will also need to declare at the point of voting that they support the aims and values of the Labour Party and are not individual members of the Labour Party.

Getting your ballot

Ballots will start being issued from October 8th and members who pass the eligibility check should have received their ballots no later than Wednesday 15 October 2025.

If you have an email address but are unsure if it is listed on your trade union membership contact details, you can request an online ballot here. The deadline to request an online ballot is 5pm on Monday 20 October 2025.

Eligible members will receive a ballot only once they are established as an eligible elector. This is done by checking that the details supplied match the database of eligible voters, including details from the electoral register. Members should be aware that if they have outdated information listed on their trade union membership, like an old physical address or incorrect email address, this may cause an issue with receiving their ballot.

Please be aware that the CWU may not be informed as to why individuals do not receive a ballot, meaning we may not be able to say which information may not be correct or is causing the mismatch.

For example, anonymised data from eligible trade union members is checked against the electoral register to ensure there is a match between the two records, to deem the member eligible to vote. However, if your address listed on the electoral register and your address on your trade union membership is not the same, this will automatically stop your ballot from being sent and you will need to correct this and request a reissue.

Requesting a ballot reissue

If you have not received your ballot by Wednesday 15 October 2025, you should request your ballot to be reissued through this link.

If you have not received a ballot and wish to participate in this election, you must request a reissue using the link- not by contacting the CWU to request on your behalf, as we cannot do this. In order to ensure that you receive a ballot, we strongly recommend checking that your membership details and the details you submit on the reissue form match your details on the electoral register, as your ballot will not be reissued if they do not match. You can update your details on the electoral register here.

If you are a Labour Party member and a CWU member, do not contact the CWU about your ballot - you must contact the Labour Party.

Other queries

Please contact politics@cwu.org with any other queries.

Once again, we encourage all eligible members to use their vote and to support the CWU’s nominated candidate Lucy Powell for Deputy Leader of the Labour Party.

Your Sincerely,

Dave Ward

General Secretary