The British Labour Party - already deep in political mire - last week found itself in further disarray after nearly 50 of its MPs, many of them newly elected representatives, defied party orders and voted against a Tory budget measure.
Acting leader Harriet Harman had warned against blanket opposition to Conservative plans, but her MPs defied her and plunged Labour further into turmoil.
The Commons backed the Welfare Reform and Work Bill by 308 to 124 votes. The Bill includes plans limiting child tax credit to two children.
It was another demonstration (if any were needed) that Labour, effectively leaderless for another two months following the resignation of Ed Milliband after the party's humiliating electoral defeat in May, is experiencing a divisive leadership campaign.
Making things worse for Labour, the Scottish National Party declared itself the official Opposition. More than a dozen SNP MPs staged a takeover of Labour's frontbench in the Commons in a fresh challenge to the main Westminster parties.
SNP MP Angus MacNeill called for Parliament's furniture to be rearranged to reflect the nationalists' role as the ''actual opposition''. It might have been grandstanding, but there is no doubt the SNP has made an immediate impact in Parliament.
The Conservatives, meanwhile, are delighted at the spectacle of the two left wing parties squabbling over who is the official Opposition and where MPs from both parties should sit. It was an odd decision by British Labour to not vote against welfare cuts and reforms which are said to hurt their supporters the most.
Labour leader contender Andy Burnham admitted it was a mess. The run up to the vote was a jumble and it is clear the party is crying out for leadership.
Ms Harman took a stand - saying Labour had to wake up and listen to voters on welfare. Then she compromised, tabling an amendment designed to sidestep a row. And then almost 50 rebels ignored her instructions. Were she Labour's permanent leader, her authority would be in tatters.
But she is not and will be gone in two months. The real question is how any of her would be successors can persuade the party that welfare must be reformed - and, now, would they even dare to try?
The British Labour Party has lurched to the left following its election defeat in May. The leading contender to replace Ms Harman is long time socialist Jeremy Corban, who is the surprise package of the leadership contest.
There are parallels for Labour in New Zealand, which experienced two divisive leadership campaigns in a short time relatively recently.
Both Labour parties are beholden to union money and support, and New Zealand Labour leader Andrew Little squeaked into the job with union support. Former British Labour cabinet minister David Blunkett says his party is going through emotional trauma and is not spending enough time debating where it goes from here.
The same can be said for Labour in this country: too many people are still asking for what does the party stand?
Mr Little and his housing spokesman Phil Twyford recently let rip with house sales data which they said showed nearly 40% of houses being bought in Auckland were by people with Chinese sounding names.
The data sparked outrage, even from some of its supporters who accused of it being racist, but both men stuck to their guns.
Labour stayed in the headlines for days and Mr Little framed questions in Parliament last week to Prime Minister John Key about alleged inaction on addressing Auckland's housing affordability - but the PM batted the questions away.
Across the Tasman, the Labor Party is showing some signs of a resurgence against the Tony Abbott led Government, but even there, the party is struggling to enunciate what it can offer voters as an alternative.
Labour parties around the Western world are struggling to remain relevant in politics. Although most of them do receive plenty of publicity, it is often for the wrong reasons. With conservative governments claiming the middle ground, Labour parties need to look at how they can connect with voters.
