Gosche leaves Maungakiekie

Mark Gosche has announced he will not restand in Maungakiekie.  At this stage he says he will seek to go List only – but do not be surprised if, like Tim Barnett, he does not stand at all eventually.

National would have struggled to win Maungakiekie off Gosche.  However with his retirement, it should now be regarded as a winnable seat.

Most focus has been on the party vote polling, and what that means for overall seats in Parliament. But people should consider what a 20% gap may mean in terms of electorates held, if the electorate vote follows similiar trends. Labour currently has 31 electorate seats (including Mangere) and could be reduced to low 20s.