In the first political poll since we went into lockdown, National has plummeted 12 points to just 30.6 with Labour up 14 points to 56.5 percent.
A new Newshub-Reid Research poll has revealed Labour's handling of the Covid-19 situation has given them a massive boost in the polls.
"I would have expected a big swing to the government and harm to the Opposition but this is absolutely massive," right-wing political commentator Matthew Hooton told Checkpoint.
"It suggests National is on its way to lose about 12 seats, that's 12 MPs who will lose their jobs.
"The gap between National and Labour is 26 points... A 25 percent gap is absolutely enormous and there is no way back for National on this unless it makes some radical changes.
"Clearly the leadership has failed. Simon Bridges is down to 4.5 percent. The public simply does not like him, that isn't fair, the public simply did not like Andrew Little.
"He's a perfectly pleasant person Andrew Little but the public did not like him, and so Labour had no choice in the end but to get rid of him, and National is now at that point."
When asked if someone else leading National at the time could have done better, Hooton said, "It's difficult to think they could have done worse."
"If National acts rationally," Hooton said, the party will wait to see how the upcoming TVNZ-Colmar Brunton poll looks. He thinks it will be revealed on Thursday.
If it shows similar numbers to the Newshub-Reid Research poll, Hooton said the pressure will be on Bridges to quit the leadership at next Tuesday's National Party caucus.
