Goff to announce on 22 November

Stuff reports:

Labour MP Phil Goff is poised to confirm his bid for the Auckland Mayoralty, sounding the final death knell to Len Brown’s prospects of another term.

Goff is expected to make the announcement on November 22 and has already pulled together a campaign team, which includes former Brown aide, top spin doctor David Lewis.

Lewis’ presence in Goff’s camp is confirmation that the Left have swung in behind Goff’s candidacy, stripping Brown of the support and financial backing behind his previous successful bids.

Sources say that Brown will announce a decision about the mayoralty before Christmas and he has been counselled that he no longer has the backing to mount a successful bid. But it remains unclear if he will try to win another term, despite his lack of backing of the progressive vote in Auckland.

Goff’s camp are confident the MP has strong support across the Auckland region and that he is also a popular pick in Wellington, where the Government sees him as a strong and credible mayor who they can work with to get things done.

The key question is will Goff spend less than Brown? Len Brown and his Council hit Aucklanders with a 10% rates increase, at a time when inflation is under 1%. Will Goff commit to a cap on rates increases?

Len has surprised no one by saying he won’t stand again. But will a Goff led left Council be any different?