Leave Neve alone

Neve Te Aroha Gayford at Ratana

I’m sure I’m not the only one to notice that the Ratana birthday celebrations this year were a well-attended event that went off without much of a hitch. This is in stark contrast to previous years, where some form of controversy has usually taken centre stage.

This year however it wasn’t a protest or political disagreement that gained the most attention. Instead the crowd seemed to be charmed by the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford's young daughter, Neve Te Aroha Gayford. She stole the show with Kaumātua happy to keep an eye on the 19-month-old while also listening to often-lengthy speeches.

On Friday, the NZ Herald reported:

Baby Neve steals show at Rātana as new photos of Jacinda Ardern's daughter emerge 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's baby daughter Neve has stolen the show at Rātana after making her first visit to the Pā near Whanganui. 

Wearing a pink bucket hat and blue dress, Neve was seen interacting with attendees while her mother attended with husband Clarke Gayford. 

Neve, the now energetic toddler, was seen racing about with two DPS keeping a close eye on her, as well as Speaker Trevor Mallard hobbling behind her trying to keep up. 

Fans took to social media to marvel over the adorable new images of Neve.

However not everybody was happy with the attention the young girl received. In fact much of New Zealand’s right wing Twitteratti, who aren’t particularly stable at the best of times, went a little bit batshit crazy with jealousy.

Here’s a small selection of their unhinged tweets:

Attendees at #ratana today tell me they are Very Shocked at the lack of delivery of the Ardern Govt. They plan to lobby Little Baby Neve to get Ardern to call an election so they can vote her out. #nzpol

— Hamish Price (@hamishpricenz) January 24, 2020

The woman is a media hungry junkie, she's using the kid as prop, & pimping it out for clicks. She's no better than the 'American', who had a photo ban on young Archie Hewitt, until she needed the good press. #nzpol #TheWorkingClassSeeThroughHer

— Boomer. (@Pete48068744) January 25, 2020

https://t.co/5CHX641cZE@CTrevettNZH you fell for the oldest trick in the @nzlabour book ... deflection.
Neve was on free range to deflect from the growing friction that is growing between Maori and the Gov't#nzpol

— Kermy !! (@KermysReturn) January 24, 2020

Good god! It takes a particularly sick individual to be jealous of the attention a small child receives, but that’s exactly what the right wing’s twitter propagandists are, sick and malicious!

Not content with criticising the Prime Minister for the media attention she rightfully receives, these broken individuals are now attacking the children of politicians, who have historically been out of bounds when it comes to political criticism.

Simon Bridges might claim that he also wants a truthful and positive 2020 election campaign, but in reality the right wing cannot help themselves and will continue to be vindictive, even when their spite is directed at a child who should be allowed to enjoy a nice day out with their parents without ugly things being written about them.