Eddie on Labour’s factions

“Eddie” at The Standard asserts there are three broad factions in the Labour caucus. S/he divides them up as:

The Right (nine MPs)
David Shearer (leader)
Phil Goff
Annette King
David Parker
Clayton Cosgrove
Shane Jones
Damien O’Connor
Kris Fa’afoi
Ross Robertson

The Left (14 MPs)
David Cunliffe (leader)
Nanaia Mahuta
Louisa Wall
Sue Moroney
Su’a William Sio
Lianne Dalziel
Parekura Horomia
Rajen Prasad
Rino Tirikatene
Carol Beaumont
Raymond Huo
Moana Mackey
Iain Lees-Galloway
Andrew Little

The Careerist Left (11 MPs)
Grant Robertson (leader)
Chris Hipkins
Jacinda Ardern
Phil Twyford
Clare Curran
Maryan Street
David Clark
Trevor Mallard
Darien Fenton
Megan Woods
Ruth Dyson

It is the last faction that Eddie says holds the balance of power. S/he notes:

Of the 11 MPs in the Careerist Left, 7 are former parliamentary staffers. This group has some good people but there’s a strong thread of personal advancement running through it, which is why they’ve brokered a deal with the Right. Robertson is wary of the ‘Left’ faction, because he doesn’t think he’ll do as well out of a deal with Cunliffe.

Seven former staffers – the new professional elite. Have any of them ever spent a day in the private sector generating wealth?

I think what we are looking at is a Cunliffe v Robertson battle for the leadership, if Labour do not win the next election. The left vs the careerist left. Who will win? No idea. Who will lose? New Zealand 🙂