The Labour Party does not make life easy for a new leader. Announcing the winner of its election yesterday, the party published a breakdown of the voting that shows how slender was the margin for Andrew Little. If the choice had been left to Labour MPs the leader would be
Editorial: Daring policies will be axed under Little
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Labour leader Andrew Little. Photo / Jason Oxenham
First, though, he probably needs to find satisfying roles for his rivals, not least Nanaia Mahuta, who received more caucus support than he did in the first round of voting. Fourth overall on the first round, her voters went mainly to him in the second and third rounds. Now that all but one of the Maori electorates have returned to Labour, Ms Mahuta may be in line for a leadership position.
Mr Little's preferred deputy is probably Mr Robertson, who has served in that role before, but he may not want it again.
David Parker, likewise, does not want to remain deputy leader or keep the finance role, which is a pity. Labour has few MPs with his business credentials.
Mr Little will need to forge a new team out of a caucus that is still reeling from the election result. To sink so low in a third successive loss is unprecedented for our major parties. Mr Little's task is to put that result firmly behind the party and enable it to look ahead. He cannot afford to act and speak like just another opposition leader. Labour has produced enough of those.
He has three years to establish himself. The public will not expect polling miracles overnight. He should expect to be called dull and worse. Effective political leaders cannot pretend to be more than they are. Television quickly exposes those who try too hard.
Leadership is about good sense and judgment, not entertainment.
Facing a Government in its third term, he may need to be no more than solid, sensible and dull to become an electable alternative, conceivably the next Prime Minister.