Labour pressures Hinchcliffe not to stand

TVNZ reports Labour Party MPs and former MPs are pressuring Labour Party member John Hinchcliffe to pull out of the Auckland Mayoralty race as he may take support away from defacto Labour candidate Dick Hubbard.

Hinchcliffe has revealed that not only have current MPs been pressuring him, but that a former Labour MP e-mailed Hinchliffe to warn him not to stand as it “might be more pleasant for you if you discontinued with your Mayoralty campaign”.

Hinchcliffe should be careful.  When Labour gets desperate they can get very nasty.  The fact he is a long standing party member will not help him at all as he finds out what “less pleasant” means.