Len told he is a dead man walking

The Herald reports:

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has lost the backing of key members of his campaign team, who are turning their attention to other left-leaning candidates at next year’s local body elections.

The Herald has learned of a meeting last month where key campaign and mayoral advisers delivered the “blunt message” to Mr Brown that he has no chance of winning and should step down.

I would have thought this was obvious a year ago.

Present at the meeting with Mr Brown were key members of his campaign team – Labour strategist Conor Roberts, who ran the mayor’s successful 2010 election campaign; David Lewis, chief press secretary to former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark who ran Mr Brown’s 2013 election campaign; advertising guru Mike Hutcheson; and Pacific Events Centre chief executive Richard Jeffery.

Two senior mayoral staff were also present, chief of staff Phil Wilson and chief policy and political adviser James Bews-Hair.

The meeting was confirmed by four sources, none of whom wanted to speak on the record.

If Len isn’t listening to his closest advisers, who is he listening to?