Senior National MP says it's 'highly unlikely' he would retain his electorate seat on current RNZ Reid Research poll result

Senior National MP Chris Bishop says it's "highly unlikely" he would retain his electorate seat on current polling.Last week's RNZ Reid Research poll saw National slump to its lowest level of support since Christopher Luxon became leader, hitting 28.7 percent.The party had consistently been below 30 percent across at least eight polls this year.Senior National MPs told RNZ on Tuesday they were not happy with another bleak result.Bishop said he probably wouldn't win the Hutt South electorate on those numbers."We want to be higher, there's no doubt about that," he said."And we're working really hard to to do that."Asked on Tuesday about the most recent result, deputy leader Nicola Willis initially brushed it off."That's one poll, and there's lots of different polls," she said.Willis went on to say she wanted National to get as many votes as possible to strengthen its position in a coalition."I want to see a stronger result than that."Erica Stanford said 28.7 percent was not good enough.Erica Stanford. (File photo)VNP/Louis Collins"We have to work harder, we have to be better, we've got to tell New Zealanders about our positive message," she said.Asked why National continued to poll below 30 percent, Stanford said that was a question for voters."But from my perspective, I need to be better at communicating our message."Backbenchers confident the tide will turnPrevious National leaders have said it would be untenable to retain their roles with polling in the low thirties.But backbench MPs on their way into Parliament on Tuesday were confident the party would soon be on the up, and backed Luxon to stay on."We're working hard, the election's a long way away, and we're gonna grow that party vote, you watch," said Northland MP Grant McCallum.Northcote MP Dan Bidois said the only poll that mattered was on 7 November, election day."[Luxon is] the best person to be leading this country, and to be leading National through to the election and beyond, hopefully."Maureen Pugh from West Coast-Tasman said it was tenable for Luxon to stay on "because he's a good PM".Takanini MP Rima Nakhle was "128 percent" sure National would return to government, and list MP Nancy Lu said her party "will definitely be re-elected".Both were confident they would keep their seats on current polling.Carl Bates said Luxon had full support from caucus, and believed New Zealand valued having a Prime Minister who "knows what he's doing".