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New Zealand National Party leadership election, 2001

New Zealand National Party leadership election, 2001
National logo 1990.jpg
← 1997 8 October 2001 2003 →
  Bill English 3by2.png
Candidate Bill English
Popular vote elected unopposed

Leader before election

Jenny Shipley

Leader after election

Bill English


Jenny Shipley

Bill English

The New Zealand National Party leadership election was an election for the National leadership position in 2001.

In October 2001, after months of speculation, Jenny Shipley resigned as leader of the National Party after being told she no longer had the support of the party caucus. English was elected as her replacement unopposed (with Roger Sowry as his deputy), and consequently became Leader of the Opposition. However, he did not openly organise against Shipley, and according to The Southland Times "there was almost an element of 'aw, shucks, I'll do it then' about Mr English's ascension".

Aged 39 when he was elected, English became the second-youngest leader in the National Party's history, after Jim McLay (who was 38 when elected in 1984). He also became only the third Southlander to lead a major New Zealand political party, after Joseph Ward and Adam Hamilton.


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