Labour's new leader Jacinda Ardern gets a warm welcome from voters

Voters seem to be warming to new Labour leader Jacinda Ardern, here with new deputy leader Kelvin Davis. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Jacinda Ardern has only been the new Labour leader for a matter of hours, but already voters seem to be warming to her.

The latest nzherald.co.nz poll asked if the new line-up of Jacinda Ardern as leader, and Kelvin Davis as deputy, would make readers more likely to vote Labour.

Out of more than 5300 votes, 43 per cent said they would now consider switching their vote to Labour.

Forty eight per cent said they still wouldn't vote Labour, while 9 per cent weren't sure.

The reaction on Facebook was even stronger.

A nzherald.co.nz Facebook post asked readers if they would vote for Labour now that Jacinda Ardern was leader.

Of the 3700 people who responded, 2400 said they would now vote for her, or 65 per cent.

Only 1000 said they wouldn't vote for her, or 27 per cent.

Neither poll is scientific.

What do you think about Labour's change in leadership?

Posted by nzherald.co.nz on Monday, 31 July 2017

Former leader Andrew Little stepped down from the leadership this morning, following a string of poor poll results.

He said the party "deserved better" and that it needed a campaign uncluttered by questions about leadership and polls.

The shock move has been branded a risky one, only seven weeks out from election day.

Ardern was quickly and unanimously voted in by caucus following Little's resignation.

She's promised that Labour will run the "campaign of our lives", as well as issuing a warning to Prime Minister Bill English: "Don't be complacent".

Ardern will reveal a new campaign platform before the end of the week, though wholesale changes are unlikely because of the short time remaining until the general election.