KEY POINTS:
Disgraced MP David Benson-Pope may stand at this year's general election as an Independent Labour candidate, urging voters to give him the electorate vote and to tick Labour for the party vote.
Mr Benson-Pope lost the contest to remain the Labour Party candidate on February 2 when he was defeated by Dunedin public relations consultant Clare Curran.
Labour Party headquarters staff were on hand to ensure Mr Benson-Pope did not win and some last-minute shifts in support left the MP without the votes to retain the nomination.
If Mr Benson-Pope stood as an independent against a Labour candidate he would be expelled from the party.
Mr Benson-Pope has been highly visible in the electorate this year. He has always been regarded as a hard-working and effective MP, but seems to be putting an extra effort into his work in recent months.
The Otago Daily Times understands the MP has been telling people in the electorate that under MMP, they had a choice of voting for Labour with their party vote but that they could vote for any candidate.
Inquiries by the newspaper found a high level of discontent in parts of the electorate, particularly centred on the South Dunedin branch, which has the money and the people to mount a campaign in support of Mr Benson-Pope.
A women's branch has disaffiliated itself from Dunedin South and is considering its options, which include affiliating to the Dunedin North electorate or the party's Otago regional council.
The South Dunedin branch is now controlled by Benson-Pope supporters, although Labour electorate committee chairman Richard Good said yesterday the public comment from the branch was ``nothing but 100 per cent' behind Ms Curran.
``All the public messages from South Dunedin are for 100 per cent support and I believe them. The other branches _ Andersons Bay-Peninsula and Hills-Taieri _ are all supportive. The LEC is 100 per cent behind Clare Curran. The meetings are productive and harmonious with support coming from the unions and branches.'
When approached for comment, Mr Benson-Pope was reluctant to make any public statements but did give a brief response: ``My loyalty to the party is beyond question and I don't intend to change that. I understand what loyalty means.'
However, the Otago Daily Times was told Mr Benson-Pope seemed out for revenge and a few people were ``baying for blood' within the South Dunedin branch.
Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton and United Future leader Peter Dunne have proved that Labour MPs can leave the party but retain enough local support to win their electorates with handsome margins.
Mr Anderton, now loyally behind the Labour-led Government, despite having had major personal and political differences with Prime Minister Helen Clark, left to form NewLabour.
Mr Dunne resigned to position himself for the introduction of MMP in 1996. He said that with two votes under MMP, loyal Labour supporters could give their party vote to Labour but still vote for Mr Benson-Pope and feel their honour was satisfied. ``Effective local MPs under MMP can stand out against a national trend politically.'
Two examples were Labour MP Harry Duynhoven, in New Plymouth, who held the seat with the largest majority in the country while National took the party vote, and National Party MP Nick Smith, who was popular in
Nelson but Labour was often ahead in the party vote, Mr Dunne said.
``David might be being coy or he might be very smart in saying voters can be loyal to Labour but still vote for him.'
Ms Curran said her campaign committee was working well and she had a team of 60 or 70 volunteers preparing to deliver 25,000 leaflets to every household in the electorate.
``There are some members of the party in Dunedin South who found the selection process painful. There is an adjusting process happening but I am heartened by the people I am seeing put their hands up to be volunteers.'
- Otago Daily Times
