Unlike lprent I am not discouraged by Little stepping down.
Andrew Little, good man. He did a lot of good for the Labour Party, and would have made an excellent PM. Many thanks to him. But whatever Labour was doing wasn’t working. Little doomed himself when he speculated about resigning – the media’s just going to tear you apart after that. Stepping down before the caucus meeting was the right thing to do, and the act of a decent man (see also press release below).
Jacinda has been confirmed unopposed as the new leader (Davis as deputy). That’s a real opportunity. Jacinda is a genuinely new generation, charismatic, and popular. She’s the chance of bringing new people to Labour, and the chance of a way forward. All the best to her!
Andrew Little’s press release on Scoop:
Statement from Andrew Little
Tuesday, 1 August 2017, 10:07 am
Press Release: New Zealand Labour Party
Andrew Little
Leader of the Opposition
MEDIA STATEMENT
1 August 2017
Statement from Andrew Little
Today I have announced that I will step down as leader of the Labour Party.
I’m proud to have been leader of the Labour Party, and have given this position my absolute and unwavering dedication, just as I have done so for more than 25 years in the Labour movement.
While obviously this is a sad decision, I have been privileged to have led a united, talented team of Labour MPs, proud to have progressed the values and issues that New Zealanders care about and proud to stand with working New Zealanders.
I remain committed to the Labour cause of putting people first, lifting the rights of working New Zealanders and strengthening Kiwi families.
The Labour team of MPs and staff have worked incredibly hard during my leadership, however recent poll results have been disappointing.
As leader, I must take responsibility for these results. I do take responsibility and believe that Labour must have an opportunity to perform better under new leadership through to the election.
I am determined to make sure that Labour fights this campaign with the greatest of resolve, because far too much is at stake for far too many New Zealanders.
New Zealand needs a Labour-led Government, and in order to achieve this Labour must fight without questions over its leadership.
The campaign is on a good footing, Labour’s caucus is united and the party is healthy.
My colleagues in the Labour Party caucus will elect a new leadership team this morning. I wish my successor all the very best in their new role, and offer my wholehearted support to them.
Powered by WPtouch Mobile Suite for WordPress