Reg Skipworth urges NZ First party to keep promises

Reg Skipworth for New Zealand First in the Whanganui seat. Photo/ Stuart Munro

New Zealand First's Whanganui candidate is urging the party to stand by its election promises whoever it forms Government with.

The final vote count showed NZ First performed best in provincial and rural New Zealand which Reg Skipworth said was no surprise such was its focus in the campaign.

But he had a warning.

"If we want to survive as a party we need to honour the commitments we made in our policy."

In Whanganui, NZ First collected slightly more than 10 per cent of the party vote, the 10th best electorate result for the party and 2.8 per cent higher than the party's national average.

It was, however, a drop from the 11.9 per cent the party got in 2014 without a candidate.

Mr Skipworth put a drop in the Whanganui vote down to a national trend and the fact that his local campaign started late.

"I became a candidate last-minute really. That considered, I thought we actually did quite well."

The party also did well in Rangitikei winning 10.35 per cent of the party vote.