| Election Name: | 2001 New Zealand National Party leadership election |
| Flag Image: | National logo 1990.jpg |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1997 New Zealand National Party leadership election |
| Previous Year: | 1997 |
| Next Election: | 2003 New Zealand National Party leadership election |
| Next Year: | 2003 |
| Election Date: | 8 October 2001 |
| Image1: | Bill English, 2005 (cropped).jpg |
| Candidate1: | Bill English |
| Colour1: | 00529F |
| Popular Vote1: | elected unopposed |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Jenny Shipley |
| After Election: | Bill English |
The New Zealand National Party leadership election was an election for the National leadership position in 2001.
See also: First Shadow Cabinet of Bill English. In October 2001, after months of speculation, Jenny Shipley resigned as leader of the National Party after being told she no longer had the support of the party caucus. Bill English was elected as her replacement unopposed (with Roger Sowry as his deputy), and consequently became Leader of the Opposition.[1] However, he did not openly organise against Shipley, and according to The Southland Times "there was almost an element of 'aw, shucks, I'll do it then' about Mr English's ascension".[2]
Aged 39 when he was elected, English became the second-youngest leader in the National Party's history, after Jim McLay (who was 38 when elected in 1984). He also became only the third Southlander to lead a major New Zealand political party, after Joseph Ward and Adam Hamilton.[3]