Ardern’s Labour party slips to second in New Zealand polling for first time since pandemic began

Jacinda Ardern remains preferred prime minister but her party records worst polling since 2017 amid Covid surge and rising living costs

For the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Jacinda Ardern-led Labour party has slipped from being New Zealand's most popular and been overtaken by the right.

A new TVNZ/Kantar Public poll found the centre-right National party had surged by seven points to 39%, compared with Labour's 37% - making it Labour's lowest result in the poll since it was elected in 2017.