Claire Trevett: Leadership dance crazier by the day

Claire Trevett says poor old Andrew Little is stuck in a game of Hot Potato - juggling a great number of endorsements he doesn't really want. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour's leadership contenders appear to think they are involved in an extreme version of the Hokey Cokey, such is the vigour with which they have been putting themselves in, and then putting themselves out.

Stuart Nash and David Parker both first ruled themselves out only to then rule themselves in. Nash went in and out, and in and out, which is where he still is. David Shearer finally ruled himself out last night, but only after almost a fortnight of pondering over whether he should go in.

But David Cunliffe was the king of the dance floor when it came to the leadership Hokey Cokey. He first kicked it all off by flinging himself out - resigning as leader, but only so he could put himself in again. The resignation was required to trigger a leadership contest. He stayed steadfastly in while all and sundry were trying to haul him out. Finally the white heat of inevitability sank in and he popped himself out yesterday.

Meanwhile, poor old Andrew Little is stuck in a game of Hot Potato - juggling a great number of endorsements he doesn't really want.

The first batch came from the right-wingers: the likes of Michelle Boag, Kiwiblog blogger David Farrar and Prime Minister John Key. Then yesterday he got David Cunliffe's. While Cunliffe may well have just handed Little the leadership, Little was hardly leaping with glee.

He pointedly observed endorsements could be double-edged. It will undoubtedly help get Cunliffe's Auckland power base behind him and perhaps a few more MPs in caucus, although many of Cunliffe's supporters were likely to go Little's way anyway.

But already there is a suspicion that a deal has been done, a bit of mutual back-scratching. Little has rejected any such suggestion and Cunliffe has also said his pledge carried no expectation of patronage.

But key to Little's campaign was his perceived independence from either the Robertson or the Cunliffe faction. He had steadfastly refused to admit who he supported in the last leadership run-off. And he does seem a bit baffled by Cunliffe's decision. The pair are not close.

It is not clear why Cunliffe chose Little or why he bothered to endorse anyone at all. So Cunliffe's gesture may well be a self-preservation technique. It effectively seeds the impression that Little's success is down to Cunliffe's support. The subtext of that is that Little will be left clutching a big fat IOU.

Of course Cunliffe's motive may be something far less cynical but more visceral: revenge. Encouraging his supporters to back Little could well ensure there was no place on the dance card for Parker or Robertson when the music stops.