Labour Party

The New Zealand Labour Party (Māori: Rōpū Reipa o Aotearoa), commonly referred to as Labour (Māori: Reipa), is a centre-left political party in New Zealand. The party's platform programme describes its founding principle as democratic socialism. The party participates in the international Progressive Alliance.

The New Zealand Labour Party formed on the 19th of April 2020 out of various socialist parties and trade unions. It was founded by up_ryze, the first Party Leader and Leader of the Opposition, and co-founded by HaroldThePolitician, the first Chairman of the Labour Party. It is the country's oldest political party still in existence. Alongside its main rival, the New Zealand National Party, Labour has dominated New Zealand governments since the very founding of New Zealand. There have been two periods of Labour government under two Labour Prime Ministers.

The party first came to power under Prime Minister ThreeCubesCubed in 1st of July 2020. It governed since the 1st of July 2020 till the 23rd of July 2020.

Following the July 2020 general election, Labour comprised the second-largest caucus represented in the House of Representatives. In the September 2020 general election the party, under AlexanderPWindsor, returned to prominence with its best showing at the time, winning 56.4% of the party vote and 15 seats. On the 14th of September 2020, Labour formed a majority government.

Soon after, in December 2020, AlexanderPWindsor announced that he will not be seeking re-election. While he had paved the way for another term of Labour in government he made way for the come back of the previous leader of Labour, Flooded_Seas who won the December 2020 Election with an overwhelming 64.3% of the vote and 16 seats.

After Flooded_Seas resignation, the Labour Party started to struggle with its voters. During the election of March 2021, it only reached 22.2% of the votes. May 2021 was the worst election for the Labour Party in its history, with only 5.3% of the votes, under Party Leader BenjaminAsker, who resigned not so long after that result, making JuliaRMontagu the new Party Leader. Mrs Montagu resigned in September, under the public's pressure after another failed election result of 12%.

Since the 4th of September 2021, PirateHaydon serves as the 12th Labour leader. Under his management, multiple mergers occured, which made the Labour Party grow back to its old position. His time in office saw mergers with the Maori Party and the Green Party, regaining the status of Official Opposition in September 2021 with 14 seats in the House of Representatives. Mr Haydon's Deputy Party Leader is JonothanVandrare who has been elected with 58.8% of the votes within the Labour Party on the 23rd of October 2021.

On the 28th of October 2021, Labour returned to government after more than 8 months in opposition- winning 18 of the 32 seats in the House of Representatives, a majority of 4. Members of the First Haydon Administration were sworn in by the Governor General on the 29th of October 2021.

Electoral Results
*In the September 2020 election, Labour originally won 15 seats but it gained 1 more seat due to the deregistration of NZ First which had won 1 seat. ** Due to mulitple mergers, with the Maori Party and the Green Party, Labour became the Official Opposition on the 12th September 2021, with 14 seats.