With less than three weeks to go, Labour remains in a position where it could govern alone in the latest Newshub-Reid Research poll* on 50.1% - down 10.8 percentage points. National has risen slightly to 29.6% (up 4.5 percentage points), but even with the support of ACT is still short of the numbers to govern.

David Seymour’s ACT party has surged by 3 percentage points to 6.5% meaning it would no longer need the safety net of Seymour winning the Epsom electorate. The Greens will be breathing a sigh of relief, safely above the threshold to get into parliament on 6.5% - up 0.8 percentage points. New Zealand First is down 0.1 percentage points to 1.9% and slipping behind the New Conservative party who are on 2.1% support (up 1.2 points).

Jacinda Ardern remains the preferred Prime Minister for 53.2% of those surveyed (down 8.8 percentage points). Judith Collins' popularity has risen by 3.1 percentage points to 17.7% in the preferred Prime Minister stakes.

Tova O’Brien, Newshub Political Editor, says: “Judith Collins’ chances of becoming Prime Minister appear to be slipping away. Despite a massive money scramble tax cut policy and a successful first debate, our latest Newshub-Reid Research poll will be a kick in the guts for National and yet another bonanza for Jacinda Ardern and Labour.”

“Newshub’s Political team has been on the road every day for the last three weeks with the party leaders and these numbers truly reflect the feeling around the country - a balancing of the ledger from Labour’s post-covid high but still the Jacinda Juggernaut is eclipsing the Judith Jumble,” says O’Brien.

Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins will go head-to-head in the Newshub Leaders Debate this Wednesday at 7:30PM on Three.

*The latest Newshub-Reid Research Poll was conducted between 16-23 Sept 2020. 1000 people were surveyed, 700 by telephone and 300 by internet panel. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.

**The previous Newshub-Reid Research poll was conducted between 16-24 July 2020 with a sample size of 1000 eligible voters and a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

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