The agony and the agony: press pack goes mental during Labour's 7.5-hour caucus meeting

UPDATE: Labour's marathon caucus meeting finally wrapped up at 5.35pm, just over the seven-and-a-half-hour mark.

MPs —apparently under a gag order — scattered without speaking to media, while David Cunliffe headed up some back stairs.

Shortly after, the Labour leader appeared to say his party would engage two independent reviewers to assess its election result.

He also had a procedural announcement —  Carmel Sepuloni and Chris Hipkins have been appointed whips, and Clare Curran caucus secretary — but refused comment on what was discussed during today's meeting. The press pack inferred that no decision had been made on the timing of a confidence vote.

The appointment of Hipkins as a whip was seen as a slap in the face for Cunliffe.

EARLIER: Whatever's happening inside Labour's first post-election caucus meeting, it's taking a long time.

As in David Cunliffe and his fellow MPs entered the caucus room at 10am this morning and (as I type at 4pm 5pm) still haven't come out (bar brief comfort stops, each documented on social media by a restive press pack — which has in turn fuelled some unsavoury speculation from UnitedFuture's leader).

NBR politics editor Rob Hosking will have a full wrap up tomorrow, assuming the pow-wow wraps up with some substantial blood-letting news.

Three MPs have thrown their hat into the ring to challenge David Cunliffe (or, at least, have refused to rule out challenging him): Grant Robertson, David Shearer and Stuart Nash.

With the final election result (expected October 4) needed before a confidence vote, don't expect a spill today. It will be more a matter of whether caucus has persuaded Mr Cunliffe to walk on his own accord. The sheer duration of the meeting surely leaves the door open to that possibility.

There's also been speculation Cunliffe is pushing for a leadership contest in the near future, while others would prefer to let the dust settle.

While we want for news, some images of the waiting Press Gallery Pack slowly losing its mind:

WINNER! Byron 1, Gina 2, Matt 3 for longest string made from Milk Shakes wrappers. Labour caucus meeting ongoing. pic.twitter.com/qSwL58B3pM

— Laura McQuillan (@mcquillanatorz) September 23, 2014

We're still waiting. #labourcaucus. pic.twitter.com/jioR7nl6zi

— Annabel Reid (@AnnabelReid) September 23, 2014

They're not eating each other. But they are eating finger sandwiches. #caucuswatch pic.twitter.com/lnGEpB4XWc

— Andrea Vance (@avancenz) September 23, 2014

Flew back to Auckland at 1.50pm with David Shearer on the flight. I guess he decided to skip caucus?

— Bill Ralston (@BillyRalston) September 23, 2014

Schrodinger's Caucus. #decision14

— Jessica Williams (@mizjwilliams) September 23, 2014

The latest from the third floor of Parliament House: https://t.co/nQw6IMqpAm

— Laura McQuillan (@mcquillanatorz) September 23, 2014

@toby_etc @TrevorMallard Stalin could talk all day, I think @DavidCunliffeMP 's just proving his credentials.

— Bill Ralston (@BillyRalston) September 23, 2014

BREAKING: Cunliffe says recent caucus meeting developed "not necessarily to my advantage"

— Rob Hosking (@robhosking) September 23, 2014

The above tweet from Mr Hosking was not a referenced to actual events, gentle readers, but a nod to a quote from Emperor Hirohito after the first atomic bomb was dropped on Japan.

The latest from the third floor of Parliament House: https://t.co/nQw6IMqpAm

— Laura McQuillan (@mcquillanatorz) September 23, 2014

ckeall@nbr.co.nz

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