New Labour Party leadership

It's official - Labour's leadership team was voted in as expected.

Is this the team I was expecting? Yes, it was. Is it the team I wanted? Surprisingly, yes.

I know that people will see this as a 'move to the right' and so on, but I don't know how much of this talk is true. Sure, Goff voted in favour of selling off assets and so on in the 80s, but that was a long time ago. Since then, he has vehemently opposed the right wing rubbish espoused in the house by the Nats over the past nine years. Cunliffe is, without doubt, a social democrat, and Annette King has implimented left-wing policies in health and justice.

So I don't really see the new team as being too right. It's true that I'm not a hardline leftist, but even for a liberal-left person like myself, the new team is more than just acceptable. Shane Jones isn't ready for leadership, Cunliffe is also a few years off this task - both men just don't have the public trust and recognition that Goff has.

Do I think that this team will be attractive for voters in 2011? Yes. But only if they stay left of center. Trying to sweeten the center in compeition with the National Party lost Labour this election. It was the stong line on Health, Welfare and Workers Rights that won the '99 election, and it will be the same approach that will win the next one.