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Labour is poised to announce its new deputy chief today, with surveys pointing to the Manchester Central MP ahead of the education secretary as voting concluded on Thursday.

The Day's Schedule of Events

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

• 10:00 AM: Labour’s new deputy leader is set to be revealed in London. Addresses are expected following the announcement from the victor and the prime minister.
• 1pm: Protesters from rival factions are expected to descend on different sides of the capital after police banned Ukip activists from assembling in an East London area due to concerns of serious disorder.
• Saturday: Counting starts to reveal the next president of Ireland.

Meanwhile, Epping Forest MP Conservative MP Neil Hudson is conducting the media interviews for the Tory party.

Election Key Points and Contender Stances

Throughout the campaign, Lucy Powell often referred to errors made by the party on matters such as the winter heating payments. In a closing statement to backers, she seemed to question a top-down culture within government, stating that blindly following along was a failure of duty.

Should Powell wins, the outcome is likely to be seen as a criticism to the prime minister's governance from party members.

Keir Starmer has recently faced a challenging week, marked by a dispute over the grooming gangs inquiry and a loss in the Senedd byelection in Caerphilly.

The party's difficulties in the opinion polls have sparked doubts among MPs about the leader's position.

Lucy Powell has stressed that she wants to help Keir and our government to succeed but also informed supporters the party needs to adapt how it functions to turn things around.

In contrast, Bridget Phillipson, regarded as Number 10's preferred candidate, has highlighted cohesion, cautioning that choosing her rival would result in party disputes and divisions that could lead the party back to opposition.

Additional News Highlights

• Cutting the annual cash Isa allowance may not persuade investors to switch to shares but could increase home loan rates, lawmakers have cautioned the finance minister.
• A wipeout for Labour in the upcoming council elections could spell the end of Starmer's leadership, MPs have said, after the Labour experienced a significant loss in its Welsh heartland.
• Rishi Sunak was the only politician provided a testimonial by the deputy national security adviser implicated in a controversy over the dismissal of a case against two British men alleged of spying for China.

The outcome of the deputy leadership election is expected to be declared at 10:00 AM British Summer Time.