Jacinda Ardern (C), New Zealand’s new opposition Labour leader, speaks to the press alongside members of her party after Andrew Little stepped down in Wellington, New Zealand. (Reuters)
The head of New Zealand’s Labour Party, Andrew Little, said on Tuesday he was stepping down after “disturbing” poll results, strengthening the chances of the governing National Party less than two months before the country’s national election. A recent opinion poll showed Labour support slumping to its lowest level in more than 20 years, according to New Zealand’s 1 News broadcast, which commissioned the survey.
“I’ve just confirmed to the Labour Party caucus that I will step down as leader to the Labour party,” Little told reporters. “There’s no question the poll results that came out last week (…) were disturbing and very, very disappointing,” he said.
When asked if he would vote for deputy leader Jacinda Ardern if she put her hand up for the job, Little said: “Yes”.
In the poll taken between July 22 and 27, Labour fell 3 points to 24 percent, while the National Party remained steady on 47 percent. New Zealand is due to hold a general election on Sept. 23.
