Howes scoffs at Labor leadership rumours LABOR leadership speculation is "much ado about nothing," union heavyweight Paul Howes maintains. Labor's popularity took a further hit in an opinion poll earlier this week with opposition leader Tony Abbott overtaking Julia Gillard's level of support in the preferred prime minister stakes. Mr Howes, the Australian Workers' Union National Secretary dismissed speculation Labor may try to change leaders again. He said everyday newspapers across the country were printing leadership speculation using unnamed sources. "When someone actually goes on the record and says that something is actually happening, then I'll get interested in it," Mr Howes told ABC TV. At the moment there's a lot of media speculation but it's much ado about nothing. Mr Howes told Ms Gillard on Monday "we've got your back" at the union's national conference. Asked to clarify what he meant Mr Howes said he was referring to her political opponent opposition leader Tony Abbott, rather than the man she replaced in office, Kevin Rudd. "What we talked about... was that the full resources of the AWU be deployed in the lead up of September 14, to make sure that we have a prime minister remaining in Canberra who's going to advocate for the interests our members and the communities they represent," he said. Mr Howes slammed the "constant obsessive navel gazing." "Every single sentence is over analysed," Mr Howes said.