Heather du Plessis-Allan: The return of Simon Bridges 17 Apr, 2021 05:00 PM 4 minutes to read Simon Bridges talking to the media before the Tuesday caucus at Parliament in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell Simon Bridges talking to the media before the Tuesday caucus at Parliament in Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell COMMENT It's possible there's a level of sympathy for Simon Bridges lately. Cut free of the burden of leadership, he's bounced back and reminded us just how good a politician he can be. He's scored headlines, strolled with yaks, and shown a bit of humour. And cut free of his leadership, National's had the opposite experience. Its popularity has crashed.