Andrew Little has welcomed confirmation of his seat as a list MP and says he is considering joining the contest to be the next leader of the Labour Party.
Labour MP Andrew Little Photo: LABOUR PARTY
The Electoral Commission declared the official results of the general election this afternoon, after recounting all the votes counted on election night and taking into account more than 330,000 special votes cast.
Labour has edged up from 24.69 percent to 25.13 percent of the vote, securing Mr Little's seat though not gaining enough to bring in another MP.
Mr Little, a former party president, said he was very pleased with the confirmation that he retains his list seat and was now commiting to rebuilding the party.
He said he would talk to his family and others about his next steps, which could include a tilt at the party's leadership.
"It's not something I'd considered because I've been waiting to see whether I'm confirmed in Parliament. It's something that I may well now consider but, you know, I'll also be considering how realistic my prospects are."
The party's former leader, David Cunliffe, and the senior MP, Grant Robertson, are currently the only two confirmed contenders for the leadership.
Mr Little said he would be surprised if someone else did not throw their hat into the ring before nominations closed.
"Any caucus member is eligible to put their hat in the ring. This is not like Hong Kong, we don't have an approval committee for candidates. I'd be surprised if there weren't others, before the nominations close."
Mr Little conceded he would start from a long way back, with two failed campaigns in New Plymouth and having served only one term in Parliament.