Panicked Labour pushes King out

Newshub reports:

Labour's deputy leader Annette King is retiring – and has thrown her support behind Jacinda Ardern to replace her. 

“After some reflection, I have decided to step down from the deputy leader's position in the Labour Party,” she announced on Wednesday morning.

King is a long-serving MP for , and Labour's health spokesperson. Ms King told Newshub “there has been absolutely no pressure on me to stand aside at all”.

Yeah right.

A poll comes out showing them at 26%, which would mean almost no . They have realised they can't win with Little, so they are hoping the celebrity star factor of Ardern will give them a boost.

“I actually think that Jacinda is ready to be the deputy. Having that win in Mt Albert – having a base – being grounded in an electorate is really important. And she has worked hard, she's stood in that are unwinnable, and she's won, and she's ready, and I think she'll make a really good deputy.”

Stood in unwinnable seats? She's stood in Central the last two elections, which is a historically safe seat for Labour – but has been unable to win it for Labour.

Ardern's roles to date within Labour have been:

  • Youth Affairs 2008 – 2011
  • Youth Justice 2008 – 2011
  • Employment 2011
  • Associate Arts 2011, 2013
  • Social Development 2011 – 2013
  • Children 2012 –
  • Police 2013 – 2014
  • Corrections 2013 – 2014
  • Arts 2013 –
  • Justice 2014 –
  • Small Business 2014 –
  • Auckland Issues 2015 –

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