Latest poll: Worst result in more than a decade for National

Under Simon Bridges, National has nosedived to its worst result in more than a decade, according to a new political poll.

National has fallen well below Labour in the latest Newshub Reid Research poll with National on 41.6 per cent and Labour on 47.5 per cent.

It has been a long time since its last poll – just before the May Budget last year – but compared to that poll, National has fallen 3.5 points and Labour is up by 4.9 points.

In the preferred Prime Minister stakes in tonight's poll Labour leader Jacinda Ardern was on 41.8 per cent (up 1.6 on May last year) compared to Bridges on 5 per cent (down 3.9 points on May last year.

National frontbencher Judith Collins is ahead of Bridges on 6.2 per cent - up by 2.5 per cent on May last year.

Labour's Coalition partner New Zealand First is on 2.9 per cent and would not survive the next election on that result, and the Greens are just on the five per cent threshold at 5.1 per cent.

This would allow Labour and the Greens to govern alone.

In tonight's poll Act was on 0.4 per cent, Maori Party 0.8, Conservatives 1.1 per cent, and The Opportunities Party on 0.5 per cent.

The Newshub Reid Research poll last May had National ahead of Labour on 45 .1 per cent and Labour on 42.6 per cent. The Greens were on 5.7 per cent and New Zealand First on 2.4 per cent.

The most recent poll before tonight's however, the 1 News Colmar Brunton taken just over two months ago, also had National on 46 per cent, ahead of Labour on 43 per cent.

Since becoming Prime Minister, Ardern has been way out in front as preferred Prime Minister, although former Prime Minister Bill English rated 25.7 per cent shortly before he resigned as National leader a year ago.

In the more recent 1 News Colmar Brunton poll, Jacinda Ardern was on 39 per cent, Simon Bridges was on 7 per cent , Judith Collins on 6 per cent and Winston Peters on 4 per cent.

Some of the political events that occurred over shortly before or over the polling period included Ardern's trip to London, Davos and Brussels; Bridges' announcement that National would index tax-rate thresholds to inflation; an acknowledgement by the Government that Kiwibuild would fall well short of its short term target; ex-National MP Jami-Lee Ross re-entering public life and Sarah Dowie being named as the ex-lover who sent him a text message saying "you deserve to die" which is being investigated by police.