Labour crosses fingers for easy handover

LABOUR’S leadership is again in limbo – but there is expected to be plenty of wheeling and dealing going on behind the scenes.

There are at least three candidates in the wings, but the caucus will be wary of another potentially divisive run-off.

Some would prefer a bloodless transition, which would be less of a distraction and provide a better chance of presenting the caucus as united.

But that would require the two main contenders – Grant Robertson and David Cunliffe – to come to an accommodation over the leadership and deputy leadership.

The smart money at this stage is on a Robertson-Cunliffe ticket as leader and deputy respectively. But it is not clear whether Mr Cunliffe will accept that.

Typically in such accommodations, it would be more than just the deputy leadership on the table.

Mr Cunliffe might want the finance portfolio, and might also want to bring some of his allies up to the front bench.

If he does decide to fight, and will not accept second fiddle as deputy, then Andrew Little and even Jacinda Ardern come into the mix as deputies.

That would be a distraction for Labour after months of failing to get traction in the polls. But the caucus is also aware that heading off a genuine leadership contest might spark a backlash from the wider membership, which under new Labour Party rules gets a 40 per cent say should the leadership be put to the vote.

That could be a drawn-out process, which party whip Chris Hipkins said yesterday could take three or four weeks.

Under Labour’s rules 40 per cent of the votes are cast by party members, 20 per cent by union affiliates and 40 by MPs.

Many in the party were miffed that they did not get a say in the leadership at the end of 2012, and having a fait accompli presented to them by caucus might cause a revolt.