Labour deputy leadership candidate Angela Rayner has said there needs to be a “fundamental change” in politics to close the “gender power gap”.

Polling conducted by Rayner’s campaign has revealed men are twice as likely to stand for public office as women. 

Rayner, who is seen as the clear frontrunner in the deputy leadership contest, made the intervention while speaking to care workers on Saturday in Birmingham.

“This is a vicious circle. Women are locked out of politics in part because of an economy where our jobs are under-valued. But we can’t change the economy if we’re locked out of politics,” she said in her speech to mark International Women’s Day.

“And women are put off public office or promotion because the image of leadership is male. But the image is male because so often women aren’t pushed for leadership.”

The survey conducted by Survation revealed that fewer than one in five women would consider standing for public office. But nearly a third of men would do so.

It also revealed those without formal qualifications, in blue-collar jobs and on lower incomes are least likely to consider it.

According to the poll, women are also less likely to consider speaking in public, apply for a workplace promotion or put themselves forward for career opportunities.

The biggest reason cited by women for not applying for a promotion was “lack of confidence” (38%) whereas for men the top reason given was “I’m happy as I am” (40%).

Rayner said: “There is a gender pay gap, because there is a gender power gap. But there are answers to these problems.”

Rayner, the shadow education secretary, said Labour had to “blow the doors off democracy and give people the means to have a say over their own lives”.

“I spent a long time not talking about my life story, I was embarrassed that I had to care for my Mum who couldn’t read and write, that I didn’t get qualifications at school, that I was pregnant at 16 – but women have to tell those stories,” she said.

“We have to show how strong we are, how we can succeed – you can see from this one snapshot that it really matters in encouraging others to dare to put themselves forward.”

Rayner is in a race with Richard Burgon, Dawn Butler, Rosena Allin-Khan and Ian Murray to replace Tom Watson.

The result of the deputy leadership contest will be announced on April 4 – alongside the winner of the leadership race.

Survation polled of 1,040 men and women over the age of 18 online between 26-27 February..