Will the fight for deputy Labour leader save the PM - or undermine his leadership even more?

It was, it was claimed at the time, the election that saved the Labour Party.

The brutal battle between Denis Healey and Tony Benn for Labour's deputy leadership in 1981 is said to have shaped UK politics today. Politics latest: Nandy to face MPs over Maccabi ban Now, 44 years later, could the clash between Bridget Phillipson and Lucy Powell for the job save Sir Keir Starmer's faltering premiership? Or perhaps undermine the PM's leadership and authority even more than they're damaged already? In 1981, former chancellor Denis Healey was the incumbent and the establishment candidate.

Tony Benn, the darling of left-wing Labour activists, was the insurgent challenger. 'Independent voice' This time Ms Phillipson, the education secretary, is seen as Sir Keir's candidate - almost certainly a disadvantage - while Ms Powell, sacked in last month's cabinet reshuffle, has told Sky News she could "provide a stronger, more independent voice".

The 1981 contest was the first fought under an "electoral college" giving 40% of votes to the unions, 30% to MPs and 30% to delegates from local parties. These days it's one member, one vote.

Previously, the leader and deputy had been chosen by the party's MPs. And in what was seen as a surprise at the time, Mr Healey had lost to the veteran left-winger Michael Foot in the poll of Labour MPs in the leadership election in 1980.

In 1981, in a mood of civil war in the party and after a campaign full of allegations of dirty tricks and ballot rigging by the unions, Mr Healey held off Mr Benn's challenge for the deputy leadership by just 50.426% of the votes to 49.574%. 'Popularity without power' As the old bruiser with the most famous bushy eyebrows in politics later admitted: "I scraped in to victory by a hair of my eyebrow." Mr Benn claimed it was a "staggering result" and his narrow defeat had given him "popularity without power".

Given Ms Powell's lead over Ms Phillipson in opinion polls, it will be a surprise if the 2025 result is as close as 1981. But the polls could, of course, be wrong.

There have been allegations of dirty tricks in the current contest as well. With just days to go before the winner is announced on Saturday, Ms Powell accused her opponent's team of "throwing mud" and briefing against her.

Interviewed by Sky News political editor Beth Rigby for the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Ms Powell attacked a "Labour source" who told the New Statesman: "Lucy was sacked from cabinet because she couldn't be trusted not to brief or leak." Asked if her team had briefed against Ms Powell, Ms Phillipson told Beth: "Not to my knowledge." But she said it would be "destabilising" if her opponent was elected, as she was no longer in the cabinet. There was "a risk of airing too much disagreement in public.