Ardern divulges how Little’s demise played out
Jacinda Ardern says Andrew Little asked her to take over the Labour leadership six days before he resigned but she refused.
The then-leader and deputy had a conversation on July 26, her birthday, in which Little said he didn’t think he could turn things around for the party and asked her to step up but she told him to ‘‘stick it out’’.
Yesterday, Ardern said Little had been open about the fact he had canvassed his senior MPs, including her, about whether he should remain in the job.
However, the Colmar Brunton poll that sealed Little’s fate didn’t come out until several days after he approached Ardern.
She said yesterday that they had been doing their own polls – at least two of which Little ‘‘flagged’’ with her that he was ‘‘worried’’ about.
‘‘His decision probably firmed up later in the week,’’ she said.
"I absolutely believed we needed to support [Andrew Little as leader], and that wasmy position." Labour leader Jacinda Ardern
As to why she told him to stick it out: ‘‘I absolutely believed we needed to support him, and that was my position. I was consistent and I always maintained that view when we talked.’’
Ardern revealed the new timeline of events that led to her rise to leader at the Blackball (formerly Hilton Hotel) on Wednesday night.
The Colmar Brunton poll just days after Little signalled to Ardern he didn’t think he could save the party had Labour hit a new low of 24 per cent and its own polling had it crashing to 23 per cent.
By August 1, six days after first speaking to Ardern, Little called her when she was in a taxi on her way to Parliament and said he was throwing in the towel. Within hours, Ardern had been made leader with Little’s endorsement.
Since Ardern has taken over as leader, the party has seen a rapid rise in the polls – last night’s 1 News/ Colmar Brunton had it ahead of National on 44 per cent.