Several Labour MPs are openly stating who they support in the leadership race after David Cunliffe one-upped the other candidates.

David Cunliffe put his hat in the ring for the Labour leadership with an identical announcement to that of his opponent Grant Robertson.

Shane Jones will not win Labour's leadership ballot. But he may well be one of the ultimate winners from the party-wide contest, writes John Armstrong.

Prime Minister John Key says he is not bothered by any of Labour's leadership candidates, but whoever takes the reins will shift the party further to the political left.

"I'm not running to be the Pope, I'm running to be the leader of the Labour Party." Shane Jones' colourful past won't stop him having a crack at the leadership.

Deputy Labour leader Grant Robertson is the first contender to confirm he will contest the leadership following David Shearer's resignation last week.

A poll by TV One show Q+A has shown David Cunliffe to be the early favourite to lead the Labour party following David Shearer's resignation.

Matt McCarten writes: At the Labour Party's November conference, Grant Robertson or David Cunliffe will take the podium to give the leader's speech.

Labour says it will weed out members of the National Party's youth wing and affiliates who may have tried to switch sides this week in a light-hearted attempt to influence Labour's leadership vote.

Labour list MP Shane Jones is sounding out supporters before deciding whether to throw his hat in the ring for the party leadership.

By the time a new leader is announced on September 15, it will be nine months since David Cunliffe put his grand ambition away in a box.

There is an old saying that being the Leader of the Opposition is the worst job in politics. The role has one rather large thing going for it, however.

Labour's MPs, members and affiliated unions will elect their new leader on September 15 and contestants will be subject to a code of conduct to stop personal attacks.

David Cunliffe being Labour's leader worries National far more than Grant Robertson, the only other viable contender, getting the job, writes John Armstrong.

It has been a leadership not so much in decline, as never taking off, writes Audrey Young. Shearer was a risk his supporters thought worth taking in 2011.

David Shearer strums his final chord, swings the guitar over his shoulder and plods off into the political sunset, the whiff of seafood in the air, writes Toby Manhire.

Labour Party members have reacted with surprise at David Shearer's decision to step down, but fellow MPs described him as a "nice guy" whose time was up.

Editorial: David Shearer's shortcomings as a politician were harshly exposed during his short time as the leader of the Labour Party. He knew when the game was up.

We bring you the latest updates on David Shearer's decision to stand down and the race to find a new Labour leader.

Support for Labour and Greens has overtaken National as Parliament debates controversial spying law changes, the latest Morgan Poll shows.

If Labour leader David Shearer wants a tip from a winner, former Prime Minister Helen Clark says her advice is always to "be yourself".

Rodney Hide says the Labour Party has three possible policy responses to any problem: tax it, throw money at it or regulate it.

Former Cabinet minister David Benson-Pope is planning a political comeback.

Real estate agency bosses don't back the Labour Party's foreign house buyer exclusion policy, saying sheer lack of supply is the nub of the issue.

Plans by the Labour Party to exclude foreign buyers from the housing market have sparked more calls for restrictions and warnings about the risk of damaging the country's relationships with its major trading partners.

Those of us following politics are witnessing the destruction of a party leader, says Rodney Hide.

Labour leader David Shearer says the proposed GCSB bill is "bad law" and would be repealed if the party was successful at next year's election.

Shearer's new chief of staff, Fran Mold, has three months at most to resuscitate his flagging leadership of Labour, writes John Armstrong.

Labour Party leader David Shearer says a shake-up of staff in his parliamentary office had been planned for some time.