Labour Party showing further signs of demise: are we seeing an impending split, as three camps war against each other?

OPINION

An angry email came to me last week from a senior Labour MP making subtle accusations on various things. I am being “mischievous,” my facts are wrong, “I never…”, “I don’t..”, etc. None of it publishable, however interesting to show the sensitivity of the party and its current state (of total chaos). Forgetting of course that I am a blogger, not a journalist, and missing the point that the Labour Party appears to be on the point of total disintegration.

As the closing curtain fell, Labour ended up with no less than four candidates gunning for the leader. One appearing quite weak, another hoping for victories past to carry him, a new broom, and a late charge by a wannabe. Shearer on the sidelines speaking truth, which really annoyed the puppets, backstabbers, sycophants, and navel gazers.

Shearer came out this week, dodging the leadership role and slamming, finally, speaking the truth, about what is wrong with Labour and the danger they face. Shearer pointed out, twisted by media, that the Labour Party seems to be obsessed with some kind of sexual, cultural, psychological matrix that matches various parties together based on their sexual preferences, their colour, their allegiances, and pretty much everything other than their suitability for the role. 

Fair statement I thought. He’s been vilified and misrepresented by the mainstream media. As a result, it makes better news. A disingenuous attack by his fellow party members perhaps, showing the depth of the under-the-surface submarine tactics to chop out anyone that they don’t like?

“Why do you care Apperley!”, is the response, “These people aren’t worth the discussion!”

Well, I disagree. New Zealand deserves, and has a healthy history, of a good opposition party. Traditionally, that has been Labour or National, depending on the swing we are in. Right now, Labour is NOT an opposition party. That leaves us with an extremely unbalanced political situation where there is no one to hold the ruling party to account. Labour right now, is screwing up that role so badly, that it might actually be time for it to just go and let others step in.

What do we have to look forward too – four candidates, of which one, maybe, could save them. However, it seems inevitable that whoever wins, there will be a party split, with the possibility of a new party rising from the warfare.

First up, David Parker. I don’t know, I can’t see him as the leader. Remember that we have to picture these people as prime minister and Parker doesn’t have it for me. I suspect for a lot of New Zealand, it's the same, my amazingly-full-of-error poll where I ask people what they think resulted in two responses; “No” and “Who?”

Next, Grant Robertson. Can’t see it. The Rainbow Nation has achieved victory. They should stand aside and acknowledge they have made massive advances in the past few years and put their efforts to a new cause. Robertson is a career politician, and quite frankly, Labour’s original core was always working to middle class people who stood up for their workers' rights. He doesn’t impress me much and I can’t see a leadership that would last.

Nanaia Mahuta. Not a chance. Swinging off the fact that Labour picked up a bunch of Maori seats, obviously has some backing from some unknown sources. Chances of being Prime Minister? Zero. Never going to happen. Her comments in the media over the past couple of days show the divisiveness and deep tranches between the different factions inside Labour, which, if she won, in my opinion, would continue. Meanwhile, the Maori Party is in coalition with the National government and doing stuff. Let’s not forget she is 51st on the list. 

Andrew Little. Oh lord, fingers crossed. A tough, tall, man with a pedigree of union and worker rights, and a master of dealing with conflict. A polarising figure that could bring Labour back into the fray, if he is elected, and if he kills off the backstabbing, factional, warfare within the Party.

Labour has a few key planks. Worker rights, the rainbow nation, Maori, and the social justice warriors. None of them see eye to eye and the rumour is that in general, Labour has become a Game of Thrones situation. That is, a fictional story that doesn’t have a great deal of common with the normal citizen. The game is everything.

The thing is, the only way they will win the next election, is via worker rights.

The working-poor and middle-class New Zealand are suffering. When was the last time you got a pay rise? Can you afford to buy a house? How secure is your job and are you earning enough to buy health food for your children? Can you afford to put money aside for retirement? Do you get the health care you need? When was the last time you had a holiday? Is your small business making any money at all, or are you just surviving? Do you have to work more than one job to keep your head above water? Are you living in a car? Can you pay your power bill? Your rates? Your rent? Your weekly supermarket bill? Petrol for your car?

The only candidate that has the ability to tackle the middle and working-class dilemma, is Andrew Little. That’s where the majority of the votes are. That’s where Labour can roll National. Distractions with other factions and splitting that vote, will result in complete failure.

Here’s what I think is going to happen. Whoever gets in, the losing faction will start their own party. It’s been rumoured before. If Andrew Little wins, the SJW, Rainbow Nation, and Maori vote are likely to defect. In fact, that would be a good thing. Because whoever wins, needs to gut the internal opposition. The conversation that says “You are with me, or you are out.”

Vice versa, if Andrew Little does not win, then he would be in an excellent position to defect, and start a New Labour Party.

Bottom line is that the leader needs to turn back in, cut the rot out, remove the backstabbers, the whisperers, the factions, and create a clean, new party, with a vision.

Otherwise, stop wasting our time. And our money. The opposition party’s role is to provide transparency and hold the incumbent government to account. If it can’t manage their own transparency, can’t work together, be honest, and hold it own members to account, then it ise an abject failure.

My money is on a split. It would be the best thing.

Bring back what Labour was created for. The working and middle class. Not this convoluted, self-serving factionalised mess.

Labour isn’t one party. It’s three.

David Shearer is right. It’s not about colour, it’s not about race, and it’s not about sex. It’s about putting the person into the leadership role who can do the best job.

Ian Apperley is the director at Isis Group and blogs at Whatisitwellington