Nash rules out top role

Napier MP Stuart Nash has ruled himself out of the race to be the next leader of the Labour Party.

Napier MP Stuart Nash has ruled himself out of the Labour leadership contest so he can turn his electorate into a "Labour fortress".
Mr Nash had previously indicated his decision would be influenced by whether Andrew Little was in a position to stand.
Mr Little's place in Parliament was secured on Saturday following the counting of special votes.
Confirming his withdrawal from the contest, last night, Mr Nash said he'd decided against standing after a meeting with his team yesterday and Mr Little's situation had only a small bearing on his decision.
"We had a good look at everything and decided there's a whole lot of work to do in Napier ... to turn Napier into a Labour fortress."
Labour's final vote went up from 24.7 per cent to 25 per cent after the counting of special votes. That prompted Mr Little to confirm on Saturday that he was considering a tilt at the leadership.
Last night he told the NZ Herald he would make his decision by the end of this week.
Mr Little said he was mindful of the fact he'd barely held his place and had been defeated twice in the New Plymouth electorate. "It's the symbolism I think more than anything that counts. Those are factors that weigh against putting myself forward. That is a big factor I've got to weigh up."
He said another crucial factor was whether he could gain the trust and confidence of his caucus colleagues.
The prospect of Mr Little as leader was welcomed last night by another Labour MP who believed he could unite the party's bickering factions more easily than either confirmed contender David Cunliffe or Grant Robertson.
"I'd probably still have an open mind about who I'd eventually back ... but I think he's a worthy contender.
"He is someone who is seen as not being as factional as the other two candidates and might have the ability to pull the caucus together. I think we'd like to hear what his plans were for how he could do that, and I think he's got some appeal out in the broader public although his name recognition probably still isn't that great." The deadline for nominations is October 14.