The real winner from Cunliffe’s jibe

Who is the real winner from David Cunliffe’s brain fart, where he thought that in the middle of an election campaign, he would insult the highest ranked female Cabinet Minister by saying he thinks she is so unattractive, that no man would sleep with her, even to save the human race?

The answer is David Parker.

I’ve long advocated that Cunliffe is the most likely next Labour Party Leader. In recent months Parker has become a viable alternative.

Now assuming that there is a leadership ballot in December, the jibe which led the TV news last night will still be strong in their memories. Combine that with some internal anger over why it took so long to get fully costed fiscals, and I am worried I may lose my money.

Another possibility is Grant Robertson will become leader sooner than ideally he would want to. Grant is a smart guy who knows that in an ideal world he’d have another term of experience before becoming leader. But if Cunliffe has pushed himself out, and Parker is not sees as viable, then maybe Robertson will stick his hand up this time.