Former New Zealand prime minister Bill English resigns from politics

New Zealand's opposition leader Bill English is quitting after losing last year's election.

The former prime minister said he was resigning as leader of the conservative National Party and leaving Parliament.

Mr English served as a politician for 27 years and took the reins as prime minister in December 2016 after his predecessor John Key resigned.

At the September election, Mr English sought to extend a nine-year hold on power for his party.

On election night, he appeared triumphant after National won the most votes of any party.

But the celebrations were short-lived, and the Labour Party went on to strike an alliance with two smaller parties and form a government under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Mr English served eight years as finance minister before taking the top job. </s> National Party leader Bill English has resigned and will officially step down from his role on February 27 making way for a new party leader.

Bill English announced his resignation at a press conference at Parliament this morning flanked by his wife Mary, his sons, and many fellow National MPs standing behind him. He informed caucus of his decision this morning and at one point while talking to media fought back tears during the announcement. </s> The former New Zealand prime minister Bill English has resigned as leader of the opposition less than six months after being defeated by Labour’s ‘stardust’ Jacinda Ardern.

Speculation had been building for weeks that English would step aside, and the decision became clear after the National party met for a two-day conference in Tauranga last week.

“Now is the right time for me to step aside and embark on new professional and personal challenges. I informed the national caucus this morning that I am resigning as leader of the national party,” English said at an emotional press conference this morning.

“I believe this will give National’s new leader time to prepare the party time for the 2020 election. It has been a huge privilege to lead the party and serve in politics.”

English said he would step aside on 27 February.

National secured 46% of the vote in the 2017 September election, giving it 58 seats in parliament, while Labour took home 35.8% and 45 seats.

After weeks of deliberation kingmaker Winston Peters threw his support behind the Labour party, allowing them to form a coalition government with the Greens, as Ardern as prime minister. </s> SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English said he will resign from parliament at the end of February, months after the National Party lost office despite winning more seats than any other party in last year’s election.

English was finance minister from 2008 in John Key’s National government, and became prime minister after Key stepped down from office in late 2016.

English led the National Party into last September’s election, where it fell five seats short of a majority. After protracted negotiations lasting nearly a month, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern struck a deal with the smaller NZ First party to form government.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ardern paid tribute to her predecessor’s political career, which began in 1990. English was also leader of the Nationals in 2002 when the party recorded its worst ever election defeat.

“Bill has made a huge contribution through his time in office and to politics generally,” Ardern said on Twitter. “I admire those who serve NZ in this place, and Bill did for a long time, and he did it well.”

English made world headlines last year when he posted pictures on Facebook of a dinner he made for his family - pizza topped with tinned spaghetti and pineapple. His unorthodox tastes led U.S. talk show host Jimmy Kimmel to urge New Zealanders to “impeach that man immediately!”

English said his resignation would take effect on Feb. 27. While he would not comment on potential successors to lead the National Party, he said his departure now would give the party time to find a new leader to take them to the 2020 national election. </s> Former Prime Minister Bill English has quit as leader of the National Party, bringing his 14-month stint at the party's helm to a close.

Mr English, who has been an MP for 28 years, also quit Parliament.

He twice led the National Party to defeat in an election, and announced he was stepping aside to give his party a chance to regroup from its dramatic fall from parliamentary grace.

On election night, National-ACT held a three-seat edge over their Labour-Greens rivals, but still fell four seats short of a clear majority.

Over the next 26 days, both parties courted the nine seats offered by NZ First, until Winston Peters eventually sided with Labour and the Greens to overturn the three-term National government and end Mr English's short 10-month stint as New Zealand's 39th Prime Minister.

"We will be by far the strongest opposition party this Parliament has seen because nearly one in two New Zealanders supported us," he said afterwards.

"And for a party going into opposition, we're in the best shape you've ever seen - there's talent, energy, a group of people who were geared up to be the government."

While gracious in defeat, Mr English signalled his own future as leader would be up for discussion in coming weeks.

Through his eight years as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr English fashioned a formidable combination with Sir John Key and loomed as the logical successor when his boss resigned last December.

Less than five months ago, he seemed a hot favourite to retain the Prime Minister role, with National polling 20 points clear of Labour.

Significantly, though, a Labour-Greens-NZ First coalition would still have held sway - and after newcomer Jacinda Ardern was promoted to Labour leader on August 1, she swung and maintained just enough momentum to snatch power.

Newshub. </s> Bill English is expected to become the next Prime Minister of New Zealand after being elected as the leader of the National Party.

English will replace former Prime Minister John Key, who unexpectedly resigned on December 5 after leading his party for 10 years and the country for eight.

"I am both excited and humbled by this opportunity," English said in a statement. "As Prime Minister, I will be committed to building a New Zealand which rewards hard work and enterprise and which cares for our most vulnerable."

English said that he and Paula Bennett, who will be his deputy leader, will be sworn in on Monday. </s> As it happened: Bill English steps down as leader of the National Party - so who will take the reins?

Bill English announced his resignation as leader of the National Party today, saying the time was right. Who will replace him? </s> WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand prime minister Bill English announced his retirement Tuesday after failing to retain office in last year's "Jacinda-mania" general election.

English said that after 27 years in parliament he decided during his summer vacation that he wanted a break from politics.

"This is more about myself and my family having spent most of my adult life, all of their lives, with the demands of politics," the 56-year-old told reporters.

"I want the opportunity to start again on a different life."

A staunchly Catholic conservative, English served as prime minister for just under a year before being replaced by centre-left leader Jacinda Ardern in October last year.

After eight years as finance minister, he was seen as a dour replacement for the charismatic John Key but almost derailed the "Jacinda-mania" bandwagon in last year's vote.

He outpolled Ardern in the popular vote but she forged an alliance with the Greens and maverick lawmaker Winston Peters to form a coalition government.

English said he felt it was time for his National Party for anoint a new team to take to the next election, although he did not nominate a preferred successor.

"He is a man of clear convictions who has always had a genuine concern for the well-being of New Zealanders," she said. </s> Bill English sworn in as New Zealand PM after Key exit

WELLINGTON -- New Zealand's socially conservative finance chief Bill English was sworn in as the country's new prime minister on Monday following last week's shock resignation of his popular predecessor John Key.

The centre-right National Party caucus unanimously backed English at a meeting on Monday morning and he travelled to Government House in Wellington a few hours later to officially take over.

English, 54, said he was "excited and humbled" to take the top job after eight years as Key's deputy and finance minister.

"This will be a government supporting economic growth and ensuring that the benefits of growth are widely shared," he told reporters.

National Party president Peter Goodfellow said English and Bennett offered "a good mixture of experience and fresh thinking".

"Under their leadership, New Zealanders will continue to benefit from the stable government they expect, along with a dedicated focus on delivering results for families and businesses," he said.

A former farmer with degrees in commerce and literature, English has been in parliament since 1990 and was previously leader of the National Party in 2002 when it suffered its worst election defeat.

"You learn more from losing than you do from winning," said English, who will seek National's fourth straight election win in late 2017.

He was Key's preferred successor after returning New Zealand's budget to surplus and keeping the economy ticking over at about three percent.
Former Prime Minister Bill English resigns as National Party leader.