Hide's future in the hands of a single MP

The future of the ACT Party and its leader Rodney Hide rest with a single MP.

Deputy leader John Boscawen holds the balance of power in the party's five member caucus, where two MPs are likely to support the bid by Don Brash to take over the leadership and two will oppose it.

TV3 News reported last night it understood Mr Boscawen would back Mr Hide and that the ACT leader was safe.

Mr Boscawen had earlier said he was making no comment on his position and the report couldn't be confirmed.

Dr Brash has announced his intention to try to take over the party, believing it will be demolished in the November 26 election if he doesn't.

Party president Chris Simmons said yesterday that the decision was "pretty much" in the hands of the caucus.

MPs Sir Roger Douglas and Heather Roy are expected to back a takeover, with Mr Hide and Hilary Calvert opposing it.

Mr Boscawen has said he is loyal to Mr Hide but has not stated unequivocally that he would back his leader if it came to a caucus showdown.

ACT's board is meeting this Saturday and Dr Brash wants to address it, but Mr Simmons said that was unlikely.

He said that under party rules Dr Brash would have to resign from the National Party, join ACT and give the caucus seven days' notice of his intention to challenge Mr Hide.

"If the majority of them (the MPs) voted in favour of Dr Brash, then that would be a clear indication that they no longer supported Rodney and it would actually be a very hard call for the board to vote against that," he said.

Mr Simmons said Mr Boscawen had been a loyal deputy.

"Right at this moment I am seeing three very firm votes on this from the caucus."

Dr Brash, 70, has said that if he fails to take over the leadership he will form his own right-wing party which would strip votes from ACT.

ACT has a support agreement with the Government but unless Mr Hide retains his Epsom seat in the election it will almost certainly disappear from Parliament.

Without an electorate seat it would need 5% of the party vote to hold any seats, and at present it is flatlining at around 1%.

Prime Minister John Key, speaking from London, said he could work with Dr Brash if he formed a party or led ACT, despite finding some of his views "extreme".

He said National was a centre-right party which didn't follow extreme right-wing doctrine.

"But we will do our best to work with the players, depending on the result of the general election," he said.