Andrew Little. Photo / Paul Taylor
The choice of Andrew Little as the new leader of the Labour Party is probably the right one.
He was clearly head-and-shoulders above his competitors. The general perception is that Grant Robertson holds no appeal to middle New Zealand, David Parker is too boring and Nanaia Mahuta was there to
make up the numbers.
The crucial advantage Mr Little has is that in a race where it boils down to electability, he appears normal. Like John Key, most Kiwis feel they could have a beer and a chat with him.
Make no mistake, he is left - union left - and that can be a disadvantage in a country that normally votes slightly left or slightly right of centre. But, then again Helen Clark was left and even her fiercest critics will grudgingly accept she was a good Prime Minister.
But importantly, in his acceptance speech, Mr Little sounded like a strong leader. Remember that feeling we all had listening to David Cunliffe - that it all sounded a bit forced and contrived? Well, there was none of that with Mr Little yesterday. He was pragmatic, practical and realistic about what awaited him and he wore the cloak of leadership well.
