Gerry Reid will announce he is leaving politics today. That's the most likely announcement he'll make.
In the meantime, the Yvonne Jones will take the job as leader of the party.
She'll also be a candidate for the leadership at the next annual general meeting in October, 2008, but for the time being Jones will claim she's just thinking about it.
Then, like party president Danny Dumaresque is already reportedly doing, Jones will quietly assemble her team and her supporters. It gives the party insiders an unfair advantage over all other comers. Heavens knows the party doesn't need either Jones or Dumaresque at the helm, let alone after letting them have the chance to rig the process in order to get the job.
Here's the thing:
Dumaresque should already be punted as party president. The fact he's considering a run at the leader's job is just one more excuse beyond the dozens of reasons why he shouldn't be party president. He won't resign. So put the question to him about the leadership. If Dumaresque cannot categorically state he won't run, it's up to the party executive to fire him. On the spot. No questions asked.
Ditto Jones.
Either she commits to stay out of the leadership race or she doesn't take the leaders job.
The Old Hand Shuffle is one of the things that got the party into this mess in the first place. More of the same will only guarantee the political hole Jones and her friends are in will get deeper.
-srbp-