Editorial: Will new leader give PM a run for his money?

David Shearer during a visit to Rotorua this year.

Given the level of admiration shown for David Shearer this week, you'd wonder why he had to go in the first place.

The Labour Party leader stepped down on Thursday, saying he did not believe he had the full confidence of his caucus, citing poll performances as another reason.

His decision was greeted with waves of praise and, while it was widely reported to have come as a shock, many, such as Waiariki's Maori Party co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell, also seemed to think it was inevitable.

Certainly Mr Shearer had failed to compete with the Prime Minister in the polls and has seemingly had to share the leader of the opposition role with the Greens' Russel Norman and New Zealand First's Winston Peters.

Some have said he was too nice to be Prime Minister. Among the qualities required of a nation's leader, perhaps "nice" isn't at the top of the list.

Whatever the case, next year's election will be here sooner than we realise and a party in disarray needs to pull itself together for a solid year's campaigning.

If Mr Shearer wasn't the man to get them over the line ahead of John Key and Co, someone else needed to step up sooner rather than later.

Political parties should be making headlines for their policies and achievements, not for their internal ructions.

Will the new leader be steadfast and sure-footed enough to give Mr Key a run for his money?

That's now up to the Labour Party membership, MPs and unions, and we'll have to wait and see.