National MPs are returning to Wellington on Friday for a midday emergency caucus meeting after Simon Bridges' leadership was challenged.
Bridges confirmed on Wednesday that two MPs are challenging National's leadership. It came after his preferred Prime Minister ranking in Newshub's latest poll dropped to 4.5 percent, while National dipped to 30.6 percent.
A source told Newshub Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller and Auckland Central MP Nikki Kaye are challenging the current leadership of Bridges and his deputy leader Paula Bennett – but it has not yet been confirmed by National.
Some National MPs aren't in Wellington at the moment because Parliament is currently in a recess week, so MPs often return to their constituencies until Parliament sits again.
It has been confirmed to Newshub that National MPs will return to Wellington on Friday to meet ahead of their usual Tuesday morning caucus meeting that would have gone ahead next week when Parliament sits again.
Bridges told The AM Show he is "very confident" that he will win the leadership challenge and that he wants to "resolve" it as quickly as possible.
"The overwhelming majority of our caucus is focused on those things I have been talking about, our economic future as a country, jobs, growth."
