Cunliffe elected Labour leader

David Cunliffe wins Labour leadership contest, defeating Grant Robertson and Shane Jones

15th Sep 13, 7:46pm by Gareth Vaughan

New Lynn MP David Cunliffe has been chosen as Labour's new leader, succeeding David Shearer.

Here's the statement released by the Labour Party following Cunliffe's victory over Shane Jones and Grant Robertson. And full details of the voting can be seen here.

David Cunliffe has been elected as the Leader of the New Zealand Labour Party.

David Cunliffe was elected by a majority in the first round of a preferential three-way Electoral College contest also involving Grant Robertson and Shane Jones.

Moira Coatsworth, Party President, said today:

“The Labour Party congratulates David Cunliffe on his win. David has been elected by a robust and democratic process and has won on the first round with a clear majority. This gives him a strong mandate as leader and he has the full support of the Labour Party.

“Our caucus, members and affiliates had a very strong field of candidates to choose from, and our heartfelt thanks go to David, Grant and Shane for the positive and uplifting tone of the campaign.

“David Cunliffe has the leadership skills and the vision to win the trust of New Zealanders and take Labour to victory in 2014. I have no doubt he will go on to become a great Labour Prime Minister who builds a stronger, fairer and more sustainable New Zealand.”

David Cunliffe is Labour’s 14th leader in the 97 years since the Party was born.

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12 Comments

by Gummy Bear Hero | 16th Sep 13, 1:06pm 1379293605

1 : Helen Clark : Defeated her , gone burger ...

2 : Phil Goff : Beaten him ...

3 : David Shearer : Saw him off .... that's 3 Labour leaders out of their grand lifetime total of 14 , beaten by John Key , PM

4 : David Cunliffe : Next cab off the rank ... just give him time , the overweening narcissic personality will do the job for Key ...

... scuttlebutt has it that some National Party supporters actually took out Labour Party membership just so they could vote for David Cunliffe ... 'cos they reckon he's the prime minister's greatest asset in retaining office in the 2014 election ....

by Christov | 16th Sep 13, 1:22pm 1379294532

Well you just turn your Labour membership card right back in then GBH...! , a man of your integrity and standing should not have to stoop to such measures just to protect the office of a Corporate slug....

Scuttlebutt indeed.....horsepiss is what it is, next you'll tell me Bank's has total recall, Gerry's on a diet, Joyce has joined a meditation class, Collins is of to India to work for the poor, and Billy Bob fancies his chances in another shot at the title....!

by two otherguys | 16th Sep 13, 1:31pm 1379295105

Teehee - handbags at 50 paces

by Gummy Bear Hero | 16th Sep 13, 1:33pm 1379295217

.. of course , it could've been some NZFirst supporters , too ... DC's elevation is great news for Winston ... a lurch to the left for Labour , leaves some centre ground clear for Winnie to grab ...

And David , at long last can say with full force of honest feeling , " I love and worship you " , when he gazes upon the portrait of the Labour Party leader ...

by Christov | 16th Sep 13, 1:52pm 1379296358

He's about as left as you are GBH, and you bloodywell know it......the whole reason most of Robertson's camp (no pun intended) think Cunliffes a fake is because their shit scared he's gonna move them center where their fat assed cushy pandering to the poor jobs will require some actual input....yes that's right , he actually wants them to do some work ......

Winnie the ultimate survivor.....I forsee his alliance with Cunliffe being far more palatable than with the Good Doctor Norman.....unfortunately , it appears Norman actually reads all of a document before commenting, so there's a clash of styles there.

by steven | 16th Sep 13, 2:12pm 1379297560

Hard to think of Labour on the outside at least being any more to the right than they appear to be now...

Interesting thing is the Green's gain in %. They seem quite left so they have taken votes off Labour on the left side. Nats have lost votes, they seem to have gone to Labour....

"Do some work" FFS, LOL, I hope so. Im kind of getting a bit sick of all of thems zero achievement in the last decade. There are some hard choices coming Christov, very hard IMHO. We have but 5 years....and in the meantime the GFC isnt over....I wonder just how non-whimpy the likes of Roberston could have been, he strikes me as spineless.....Cunliffe on the other hand appears to have a bit of spine...

Winnie, yes and as things get tough the master of promises to the OAPs is going to capitalise on that to gain %.

Norman, yes one switched on cookie, I suspect a real intelect there....however he's no real greenie IMHO. My experiencewith the "real" socialists is they are happy to take money off the "better off" to fix things short term without addressing the real issues....so no better than the rigth in this respect,

The pie is getting smaller, the bun fight to get some is going to get nasty...even vicious...

regards

by steven | 16th Sep 13, 1:22pm 1379294564

Going to be interesting, much of what you claim is seen in DC is seen in JK by others, in buckets.

"scuttlebutt" lol, sounds like the [far] right is somewhat worried......PS "spying" isnt unusual from the right.....

regards

by ITYS | 16th Sep 13, 2:06pm 1379297196

Cunliffe is only Shearer in a pin striped suit. Listening to his first 'crack' at the PM was awkward. Yet again, falling into the trap of commenting against the person and not outlining a vision for NZ that people can buy into...

by Christov | 16th Sep 13, 3:28pm 1379302135

I think that a fair call ITYS....but he learns fast, and lets not forget old not bothered (John Boy ) pulls his best not bothered face when offering disparaging comment on Cunliffe.....so yes that crap has got to go and leave the slagging to we lowly bloggers.....

As far as a vision goes , I think to be fair he has to get his head around the vision of moving forward knowing his Judas is looking to slip im one....and I don't mean in a friendly way.

by Gummy Bear Hero | 16th Sep 13, 3:52pm 1379303547

. . . . . . . . .off the lay-lines .... bugger .... double post .... do we go around or between them ?

by Gummy Bear Hero | 16th Sep 13, 3:50pm 1379303451

Speaking of slagging , how's about that tweet from the America's Cup defenders , " there's no " I " in just beat the f******s " ....

... classy guy , the aptly named Spithill ...

But there is one " I " in " we just gotta beat you twice more ! "

by Stephen L | 16th Sep 13, 5:20pm 1379308854

There is an old cricket adage that the bowler a cricket captain should choose to bowl is the one the batsman least wants to face. Cunliffe is clearly that in spades for the Nats, so Labour has made the right choice.

Sadly, although I agree good politics should all be about policies, recent trends overseas have all been about personality. The right wing in particular resort to personality politics in the extreme- witness the Republicans in the US, or Abbott's over the top attacks on Gillard.

I suspect Cunliffe will be able to mix it fine, and will have the advantage of more logically compelling economic policies (even if bizarrely some National supporters live in a 60s pre Muldoon time warp where they still have some belief in the natural supremacy of the National Party, depite the evidence of the 40 years since). As long as Cunliffe gives the Greens and NZF some space, then Peters and Norman will cover his back.

Meanwhile Key may not be aware, but it does seem a significant number of people have become very uncertain of his honesty, so whatever asset he was to the Nats may well have dissipated.