Labour has overtaken Reform UK in a voter intention poll for the first time in more than a year after Andy Burnham took over as Prime Minister.

The weekly tracker of voting intention by the nonprofit agency More in Common shows Labour up four points to 28 percent while Reform dropped to 24 percent.

UK correspondent Elizabeth Callaghan says Burnham's new cost of living policies are proving popular with voters, but Burnham's made it clear he's not getting carried away. 

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World anti-doping bosses have told Kiwi sports officials to take a harder line on New Zealand’s elite athletes in order to keep sport drug-free.

Montreal-based World Anti-Doping Agency officials travelled to Auckland in late September 2025 for its first full review of New Zealand’s anti-doping regime.

The audit found multiple errors in New Zealand’s anti-doping practices, including the nation's failure to keep track of some athletes in the elite Registered Testing Pool, meaning detailed and updated whereabouts information wasn’t on-hand for no-notice drug testing.

Sport Integrity Commission CEO Rebecca Rolls says this information is useful, and New Zealand can learn from the feedback.

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Tonight on The Huddle, Tim Wilson from the Maxim Institute and broadcaster Mark Sainsbury joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more!

New Stats NZ data shows how much the cost of living has gone up - and it's not just down to the ongoing fuel crisis. What do we make of this? What could this mean for the election? 

Do we believe the claims that someone was spying for New Zealand in Russia? 

A painting by Bill Hammond is expected to sell for between $1.4 million and $1.8m as part of a major private collection being auctioned at Webb’s. What do we make of this?

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On the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast with Ryan Bridge for Tuesday, 28 July, 2026, former Defence Minister Wayne Mapp on whether he really believes a Russian was spying for New Zealand.

Economist Cameron Bagrie tells us if there are any positives in the cost of living rising by an average of 3.2%.

Sport Integrity Commission chief executive Rebecca Rolls on whether we deserve a telling off from the World Anti-Doping Agency.

And on The Huddle, Mark Sainsbury and Tim Wilson on what they make of the Bill Hammond painting Zoomorphic Lounge III going up for auction.

Get the Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive Full Show Podcast every weekday evening on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Veteran broadcaster and Waitaki District councillor Jim Hopkins has died at the age of 79.

Hopkins’ career spanned television, radio, newspapers and publishing before he devoted nearly two decades to local government.

He was a reporter on the 1980s science programme Fast Forward, authored several books, and hosted talkback on Christchurch's Radio Avon. 

He was then elected to the council in the Oamaru Ward in 2007 where he remained until his death.

The Country's Jamie Mackay paid tribute - and looked back on some earlier memories with Hopkins.

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The Government is introducing new regulations to help poultry farmers navigate bird flu, and industry experts are welcoming the changes.

Operators with more than 100 birds will be required to create a farm biosecurity plan - setting out how they will prevent and manage the disease. 

Poultry Association head Fiona MacMillan says it's helpful for everyone to be on the same page about the outbreak.

"I think having a standard that's applied consistently across industry can only be a good thing."

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Employers with a good track records on seasonal workers could soon get useful stamps of approval.

The Government's planning changes to the RSE Scheme.

It includes an accreditation system and clarifying employers' rules on claiming for costs like transport.

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says trusted businesses will be treated with a lighter regulatory touch.

"You provide good accommodation, we haven't had issues with your accommodation or your deductions or anything else, and you're consistently dealing with MSD to make sure that you're putting Kiwis first for jobs."

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A large painting by acclaimed New Zealand artist Bill Hammond is expected to sell for between $1.4 million and $1.8 million as part of a major private collection being auctioned at Webb’s.

The 1999 acrylic-on-canvas painting, Zoomorphic Lounge III, is part of a private collection of 100 Kiwi art pieces set to be auctioned off tonight.

Webb's art manager Megan Shaw says it's going to be an 'exciting night', and it's likely the painting will fetch a significant sum. 

"The estimate for the highest work ever sole with Webb's was for Melting Moments 1 back in 2023, and that achieved $1.6 million under the hammer - and that set a new record." 

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The rising cost of living is down to more than global uncertainty, according to one expert.

Stats NZ data shows costs for the average household jumped 3.2 percent annually to June, a more than four-year-high.

Petrol was the biggest contributor - skyrocketing more than 27 percent.

Independent economist Cameron Bagrie says shocks like US tariffs and its war with Iran play a role, but core inflation is still higher than before Covid.

"But there's a little bit more of a sticky persistent inflation - it's the obvious drivers like rates, it's your insurance, it's your energy bills, which the Reserve Bank can't control."

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A former Defence Minister's calling Russia's claims of spying links to New Zealand 'sketchy'. 

The country's ambassador to New Zealand has confirmed a man's been accused of high treason - and trying to leak information to the NZSIS. 

Foreign Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand is guilty of nothing. 

Past minister Wayne Mapp says he believe Russia's selling a specific narrative.

"They're trying to show its own people that they are surrounded by enemies, so it suits them to name a Five Eyes country." 

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