Nominees announced for Labour Party presidency

Moira Coatsworth resigned as Labour Party President after the election. Photo / Mark Mitchell

An Auckland University lecturer Nigel Haworth and City Vision chair Robert Gallagher have put themselves forward to be the Labour Party's next President.

The nominees for the role were announced today after Moira Coatsworth resigned from the role following the election.

The President is usually chosen at the party's annual conference late in the year, but Ms Coatsworth has said it would be less disruptive for her to step down immediately so the new President could oversee any changes proposed by the post-election review the party has called.

Both Mr Haworth and Mr Gallagher are office holders in Labour - Mr Gallagher is current vice-President and Mr Haworth is the Policy Council representative.

The position will be voted on by electorate and branch organisations - who get about 75 per cent of the vote - MPs, and affiliated unions.

Mr Gallagher said it was likely he would step down as chair of City Vision if he secured the President's role.

He would not set out what he believed the priorities were in the role, saying it was something he'd be addressing with party members. However, he agreed fundraising was an important factor.

"It's an important role, working with caucus and Andrew Little."

Mr Haworth did not want to comment yesterday, saying it was an internal process. "All I will say is there are two strong candidates and the members have a decision to make."

Mr Gallagher has a substantial amount of experience in organising campaigns - including managing David Shearer's by-election campaign in Mt Albert in 2009, other general election Labour campaigns and local body candidates under the left leaning City Vision banner in Auckland.

Mr Haworth is well regarded by MPs and earned respect for his role overseeing the policy platform the Labour Party developed a few years ago. A professor in human resources development at Auckland University, he migrated to New Zealand from Britain in 1988. He joined the Labour Party in the UK in the 1960s and signed up with the New Zealand version when he arrived: "it was after Rogernomics."