Jacinda Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford unleashes on trolls

Jacinda Ardern stepped down as New Zealand’s leader on Wednesday after five-and-a-half years in charge.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford leave after she announced her resignation (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)

Jacinda Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford has unleashed on trolls who abused her during her tenure as New Zealand’s prime minister.

Ms Ardern stepped down as the country’s leader on Wednesday after five-and-a-half years in charge, saying she no longer has the energy for the role.

She was lauded for her response to the Christchurch mosques massacre in 2019 but Kiwis lost faith in her as the Covid pandemic closed the border for months on end and led to tight lockdown restrictions.

Ms Ardern faced unfair accusations that she was a “part-time PM” after the birth of their daughter, Neve, and Mr Gayford was falsely accused by online trolls of being under investigation by the police.

Mr Gayford quoted a Maori leader as he hit back at the keyboard warriors that have targeted him and his partner.

He wrote: “When asked how they saw that given some of the discourse we’ve seen in ugly places online and via a certain type of public commentator, their response was simply: ‘When you pull the plug on the bath, it’s always the last dregs that are the noisiest.’”

The self-styled ‘First Bloke’ continued: “There is a saying that nothing is harder than having true empathy for others, because empathy requires you to understand life from someone else’s perspective, to suspend your own ego, to walk in different shoes and see through another’s eyes.

“I’ve also learnt that in politics while it might be easier to take the sugar hit path of popularity through division and hate and avoiding unpopular but necessary decisions, there is a better much tougher way of governing in empathy that plants many quiet trees for us all to enjoy the shade of for lots of good years to come.

“I’m still not sure how I managed to hitch a front row seat in all of this but I remain as always; in awe, in love, relieved, exhausted and so incredibly proud of Neve’s mums superhuman efforts.”

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford leave after she announced her resignation (Photo by Kerry Marshall/Getty Images)

Ms Ardern, who was elected to the top job in 2017, announced her resignation last week, saying she no longer had “enough in the tank”.

“I am leaving because with such a privileged job comes a big responsibility. The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead – and also when you’re not,” she said.

“I know when I have enough left in the tank to do it justice.

“I am human. We give as much as we can for as long as we can and then it’s time. And for me, it’s time.

“To Neve, mum is looking forward to being there when you start school next year. And to Clarke, let’s get married.”

Chris Hipkins has taken over as prime minister ahead of the country’s election later this year, with polls suggesting Ms Ardern and Mr Hipkins’ party is set to lose.