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.

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.

David Shearer took a cautious approach early in his leadership of Labour and during his initial honeymoon period the party recovered in the polls from its worst election result in generations.

A group of Labour MPs were planning a motion of no confidence against party leader David Shearer at the caucus meeting on Tuesday - a step pre-empted by his resignation.

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Labour leader David Shearer says the proposed GCSB bill is "bad law" and would be repealed if the party was successful at next year's election.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 leader David Shearer has appointed his former press secretary Fran Mold as his chief of staff in an attempt to tighten political management of his office.

There are further changes in Labour leader David Shearer's office after his chief of staff Alastair Cameron resigned to be replaced by his former chief press secretary Francesca Mold.

The Labour leader's survived life-and-death situations, but on TV he comes over as hesitant and lacking in confidence, writes Audrey Young.

These are the things David Shearer wants to be talking about: The SkyCity Convention Centre legislation, Solid Energy, home affordability, jobs and the price of electricity.

At the start of the week, I would have put Shearer's chances of surviving at 80/20. Now they would be closer to 50/50.

Duncan Garner looked for a moment like an America's Cup yacht, racing no one but himself, he was undaunted, and grinded on, writes Toby Manhire.

John Key appears to have made another concession over the bill expanding GCSB powers - this time requiring it to have regard to the Bill of Rights Act.

Labour MPs at the centre of rumours about a leadership move within are adamant that there are no moves under way to oust David Shearer.

A clerical assistant suspected of leaking two confidential cabinet papers has lost his Court of Appeal bid to challenge the findings of the Paul Rebstock inquiry into the leaks.

David Shearer has strenuously denied there are moves afoot within his own caucus to have him dumped as Labour's leader - and senior colleagues are backing him up.