UPDATED: Cunliffe resigns role, now seeks same again

UPDATE: Like performers in a piece of kabuki theatre making highly stylized, ritualistic gestures on their inexorable journey towards climatic calamity, the actors in Labour’s ongoing leadership drama have all played their preordained roles.

David Cunliffe has symbolically fallen on his sword by resigning as leader, only to immediately begin brandishing the weapon in an attempt to convince the party rank and file to follow him on a three year long charge at National’s heavily reinforced position on the centre right flank.

Contender Grant Robertson has thrown a gauntlet at Mr Cunliffe’s feet, accusing the once-and-possibly-future leader of insulting Labour volunteers by suggesting one reason for the party’s election rout was a prioritisation of winning electorates over party votes.

And David Parker has taken on the job of acting leader – with Annette King as acting deputy – but not before taking the opportunity to spell out for those slow on the uptake that he’s lost confidence in Mr Cunliffe and does not believe he should lead Labour.

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EARLIER: In the face of an openly hostile caucus and an indifferent (at best) voting public, David Cunliffe continues his strange dance of denial – seemingly fuelled by an over-abundance of self-belief and an absence of self-awareness.

Mr Cunliffe has said he will officially resign as Labour leader today – but only so he can then immediately throw his hat into the ring once again for the role.

The leadership race is shaping up to be a head-to-head contest with Wellington Central MP and former deputy leader Grant Robertson, although Stuart Nash may still take a tilt too.

Current deputy leader David Parker – who has already ruled himself out of any runoff – is expected to take on the mantle of acting leader until the leadership question is settled.

But first it has to be decided whether the contest will take place before or after Labour’s review of what Mr Cunliffe has finally acknowledged was a “horrific” election result for the party. Mr Cunliffe favours the former course, Mr Robertson the latter.

Whatever the case, it seems certain Labour’s internal divisions will continue to fester for several months yet.