Armstrong on National

John Armstrong reviews National since the leadership change:

Some blunt talk up and down the factionalised front bench after Don Brash’s resignation forced Bill English into rapprochement with Key. They not only discovered they could work together, but that they complemented each other. They realised they even might quite like each other.

The resulting benefits to National of this leader-deputy pairing cannot be exaggerated. The caucus started to focus outwards instead of inwards. Key picked up the baton Brash had dropped in the House. National began putting more pressure on Labour more often on more fronts.

Key has huge respect for Clark’s political skills. He repeatedly reminds his caucus that unity is paramount, and that his MPs must work even harder. Even then, he warns them that National faces a long, long haul to gain the Government benches.

Labour’s fallback option is to persuade voters that National’s leader and deputy harbour enmity towards each other, and that Key is the lightweight and English is the real leader.

Not surprisingly, the tactic is not working. It isn’t true.

I have been surprised that the best Labour can do is to call Bill English the co-leader and think that somehow this is politically damaging.