Former Prime Minister Bill English has quit as leader of the National Party, bringing his 14-month stint at the party's helm to a close.

Mr English, who has been an MP for 28 years, also quit Parliament.

He twice led the National Party to defeat in an election, and announced he was stepping aside to give his party a chance to regroup from its dramatic fall from parliamentary grace.

On election night, National-ACT held a three-seat edge over their Labour-Greens rivals, but still fell four seats short of a clear majority.

Over the next 26 days, both parties courted the nine seats offered by NZ First, until Winston Peters eventually sided with Labour and the Greens to overturn the three-term National government and end Mr English's short 10-month stint as New Zealand's 39th Prime Minister.

"We will be by far the strongest opposition party this Parliament has seen because nearly one in two New Zealanders supported us," he said afterwards.

"And for a party going into opposition, we're in the best shape you've ever seen - there's talent, energy, a group of people who were geared up to be the government."

While gracious in defeat, Mr English signalled his own future as leader would be up for discussion in coming weeks.

Through his eight years as Deputy Prime Minister, Mr English fashioned a formidable combination with Sir John Key and loomed as the logical successor when his boss resigned last December.

Less than five months ago, he seemed a hot favourite to retain the Prime Minister role, with National polling 20 points clear of Labour.

Significantly, though, a Labour-Greens-NZ First coalition would still have held sway - and after newcomer Jacinda Ardern was promoted to Labour leader on August 1, she swung and maintained just enough momentum to snatch power.

Newshub.

</s>National Party leader Bill English has resigned and will officially step down from his role on February 27 making way for a new party leader.

Bill English announced his resignation at a press conference at Parliament this morning flanked by his wife Mary, his sons, and many fellow National MPs standing behind him. He informed caucus of his decision this morning and at one point while talking to media fought back tears during the announcement.</s>Former New Zealand prime minister Bill English resigns from politics

New Zealand's opposition leader Bill English is quitting after losing last year's election.

The former prime minister said he was resigning as leader of the conservative National Party and leaving Parliament.

Mr English served as a politician for 27 years and took the reins as prime minister in December 2016 after his predecessor John Key resigned.

At the September election, Mr English sought to extend a nine-year hold on power for his party.

On election night, he appeared triumphant after National won the most votes of any party.

But the celebrations were short-lived, and the Labour Party went on to strike an alliance with two smaller parties and form a government under Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern.

Mr English served eight years as finance minister before taking the top job.</s>11.53am: Mr English says he wants a "life outside politics" in both personal and business, and spending time with his wife Mary and their children.

"My view about what you do in politics is that you need to be satisfied yourself about what you do."

11.47am: Mr English says there's been more "ups and downs" during his political career than most.

11.45am: Mr English said he is not endorsing a candidate for the National leadership, and will just have a vote. Joking, he says he will enjoy his colleagues coming to him to ask for his vote.

11.43am: The decision was "personal" Mr English said, and came to him over the summer break as he spent time with his family with no political ambitions in particular on his mind - an unusual experience for him.

11.41am: Mr English chokes up towards the end of his statement as he reflects on the sacrifice of his family and wife for his political career.

11.38am: "I believe this will give National’s new leader the time and best possibly opportunity to prepare the party for the 2020 election," Mr English said, reading from his statement.

11.30am: Bill English has this morning stepped down as leader of the National Party, just three months after the loss of the 2017 general election.

11.20am: National leader Bill English is holding an unscheduled press conference which 1 NEWS understands will be to discuss his leadership of the National Party.

It comes after the National caucus held a weekend retreat in Tauranga to discuss the direction of the party, and Mr English's leadership.

A major source of concern was the performance and personality of deputy leader Paula Bennett and Mr English's antagonistic relationship with Winston Peters, whom he'd pushed to the brink, making it all-but impossible to form a Coalition government.

Nikki Kaye, Amy Adams, Simon Bridges and Judith Collins would be among the leading candidates to take over from Mr English as National's leader.</s>WELLINGTON: Former New Zealand prime minister Bill English announced his retirement Tuesday after failing to retain office in last year's "Jacinda-mania" general election.

English said that after 27 years in parliament he decided during his summer vacation that he wanted a break from politics.

"This is more about myself and my family having spent most of my adult life, all of their lives, with the demands of politics," the 56-year-old told reporters.

"I want the opportunity to start again on a different life."

A staunchly Catholic conservative, English served as prime minister for just under a year before being replaced by centre-left leader Jacinda Ardern in October last year.

After eight years as finance minister, he was seen as a dour replacement for the charismatic John Key but almost derailed the "Jacinda-mania" bandwagon in last year's vote.

He outpolled Ardern in the popular vote but she forged an alliance with the Greens and maverick lawmaker Winston Peters to form a coalition government.

English said he felt it was time for his National Party for anoint a new team to take to the next election, although he did not nominate a preferred successor.

"He is a man of clear convictions who has always had a genuine concern for the well-being of New Zealanders," she said.</s>As it happened: Bill English steps down as leader of the National Party - so who will take the reins?

Bill English announced his resignation as leader of the National Party today, saying the time was right. Who will replace him?</s>SYDNEY (Reuters) - Former New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English said he will resign from parliament at the end of February, months after the National Party lost office despite winning more seats than any other party in last year’s election.

English was finance minister from 2008 in John Key’s National government, and became prime minister after Key stepped down from office in late 2016.

English led the National Party into last September’s election, where it fell five seats short of a majority. After protracted negotiations lasting nearly a month, Labour leader Jacinda Ardern struck a deal with the smaller NZ First party to form government.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Ardern paid tribute to her predecessor’s political career, which began in 1990. English was also leader of the Nationals in 2002 when the party recorded its worst ever election defeat.

“Bill has made a huge contribution through his time in office and to politics generally,” Ardern said on Twitter. “I admire those who serve NZ in this place, and Bill did for a long time, and he did it well.”

English made world headlines last year when he posted pictures on Facebook of a dinner he made for his family - pizza topped with tinned spaghetti and pineapple. His unorthodox tastes led U.S. talk show host Jimmy Kimmel to urge New Zealanders to “impeach that man immediately!”

English said his resignation would take effect on Feb. 27. While he would not comment on potential successors to lead the National Party, he said his departure now would give the party time to find a new leader to take them to the 2020 national election.</s>The former New Zealand prime minister Bill English has resigned as leader of the opposition less than six months after being defeated by Labour’s ‘stardust’ Jacinda Ardern.

Speculation had been building for weeks that English would step aside, and the decision became clear after the National party met for a two-day conference in Tauranga last week.

“Now is the right time for me to step aside and embark on new professional and personal challenges. I informed the national caucus this morning that I am resigning as leader of the national party,” English said at an emotional press conference this morning.

“I believe this will give National’s new leader time to prepare the party time for the 2020 election. It has been a huge privilege to lead the party and serve in politics.”

English said he would step aside on 27 February.

National secured 46% of the vote in the 2017 September election, giving it 58 seats in parliament, while Labour took home 35.8% and 45 seats.

After weeks of deliberation kingmaker Winston Peters threw his support behind the Labour party, allowing them to form a coalition government with the Greens, as Ardern as prime minister.</s>After two unsuccessful attempts to win an election Bill English has walked away from the National Party leadership.

Today's decision is a bitter-sweet moment for English, who made political history last year for the wrong reasons - the first time that the party with the highest share of the vote has not formed the government.

That decision will have caused heartbreak for English after a 27-year career in Parliament.

On election night last year, English stood on the stage at the National Party event with his arms aloft, celebrating the result he had secured for the party.

It was a stark contrast from the night of the 2002 election when English broke down in tears after taking the National Party to 21 per cent.

On September 23 last year, English had also claimed the result gave him a "moral authority" to have first go at forming a government - although Peters later rejected that claim.

That result of 46 per cent (58 seats) later shrank to 44 per cent (56 seats) but National was still ahead of Labour and the Greens' combined tally - albeit by just two seats.

The result followed a gruelling campaign as English, 55, tried to counter what he described as the "stardust" of Labour leader Jacinda Ardern by pushing his own record of strength and stability and hammering at the uncertainty around Labour's tax policy.

Bill English first entered Parliament in 1990 at the age of 28 as National MP for the then-Wallace electorate after first working on his family farm in Dipton and then in Treasury after moving to Wellington to be with his wife Mary.

He was one of the so-called "brat pack" of four - English, Nick Smith, Tony Ryall and Roger Sowry. All still spend a summer holiday together.

English was first appointed a minister in early 1996 by then Prime Minister Jim Bolger as Minister for Crown Health Enterprises and Associate Minister of Education.

After the election later that year, he was appointed Minister of Health with NZ First MP Neil Kirton as his associate - a relationship which did not work out.

He remained in that role after Jenny Shipley rolled Bolger, despite English's backing for Bolger. In 1999 he was promoted to the Finance portfolio, working alongside Bill Birch as Treasurer.

Helen Clark's Labour won the 1999 election and in 2001 English was elected party leader unopposed at the age of 39 - a bit older than Ardern is. He led National to a drubbing in 2002 of just 25 per cent.

Some of the responsibility for that was put down to the National Party organisation and English was given some time to try to rally the polling. By October 2003 that had not happened and newcomer Don Brash beat him in a leadership contest.

English was kept on the front bench and given the education portfolio, in which he managed to get successive hits on the Labour government.

After the 2005 election, Brash was replaced by John Key and Gerry Brownlee stepped aside as deputy to allow English to take the post.

Although there was initial controversy over English claiming ministerial accommodation allowances for his Wellington home, English rebuilt his reputation as Finance Minister and deputy to Key in the National Governments from 2008 to 2017.

In 2014 he stepped away from the Clutha-Southland electorate he had held since 1990 and became a List MP - a step that signalled he would leave Parliament should National return to Opposition.

Instead John Key left early and handed English the prime minister's job, telling National's caucus English had the greatest chance of returning National for a fourth term.

Had Ardern been in the top job for Labour when Key left, English might never have taken it on such was the ghost of his 2002 drubbing.

However, National was still polling strongly and Labour under Andrew Little was flailing in the 20s in the polls.

Despite his long history in politics, English still managed to surprise after taking over as leader, trying to show he was not just the boring numbers man he had typecast himself as.

In his first press conference after National elected him leader English did an about-turn on gay marriage - saying in hindsight he should have supported it.

He quoted poetry by Selina Tusitala Marsh on leadership, saying "lead and dig up the diamonds around you".

And he made some policy changes - including going against Key's pledge not to raise the retirement age by releasing policy to increase the superannuation age to 67, phased in from 2037.

The election result would also have given English a mandate to take National in his own direction.

English had promised change during the campaign, saying there was more money available and signalling changes in areas such as the environment and poverty - even pledging to cut child poverty by 100,000.

Housing affordability would also have to be a focus and health was rapidly becoming an area that needed attention.

While Key had lent National his brand of pragmatism and "compassionate conservatism" from 1999 to 2008, much of that was work engineered by English especially in the "social investment" model.</s>12.02pm: Mr English has ended his press conference and Deputy National leader Paula Bennett gives a short tribute to Mr English saying "today is tinged with saddness" and that people should appreciate the "depth" of his political thinking.

11.58am: Mr English says much has changed during his three decades in politics - in particular the speed of the modern news cycle.

11.53am: Mr English says he wants a "life outside politics", both personally and in business. He also wishes to spend more time with his wife Mary and their children.

"My view about what you do in politics is that you need to be satisfied yourself about what you do."

11.45am: Mr English said he is not endorsing a candidate for the National leadership, and will just have a vote. Joking, he says he will enjoy his colleagues coming to him to ask for his vote.

11.43am: The decision was "personal" Mr English said, and came to him over the summer break as he spent time with his family with no political ambitions in particular on his mind - an unusual experience for him.

11.41am: Mr English chokes up towards the end of his statement as he reflects on the sacrifice of his family and wife for his political career.

11.38am: "I believe this will give National’s new leader the time and best possibly opportunity to prepare the party for the 2020 election," Mr English said, reading from his statement.

11.30am: Bill English has this morning stepped down as leader of the National Party, just three months after the loss of the 2017 general election.
Former Prime Minister Bill English resigns as National Party leader.