Amelia Wade election 2023 analysis: Labour insider hopes Helen White loses recount, another says she's condescending, entitled

ANALYSIS: The bullying allegations against Ginny Andersen outlined in our Newshub story is bad for Labour, but with Andersen losing her seat, it means it's easier for Labour to exit her if they wish.   

This all comes on top of Newshub on Wednesday revealing Labour backbencher Helen White's volunteers were leaking against her.   

White won the precious Mt Albert seat by just 20 votes and is facing a recount, but one party insider told Newshub they were hoping 21 votes went the other way so White would be out. Another said White was condescending, complacent and entitled.   

But possibly even more problematic for leader Chris Hipkins is Labour hasn't even hit the Opposition benches yet - and already it's leaking like a sieve.   

On Wednesday, White told Newshub the leaked email was "a collation of all the feedback from individuals who attended a recent meeting of the local electorate on Labour's election campaign to feed into the national review process".  

"There are a wide range of reasons Labour lost the election and things we can do better at both a local and national level to achieve a better result in 2026. That's what we're focused on."   

Amelia Wade is a senior political reporter.