Cometh the Hour .......

Lord Patel has , since last August been describing The Home Secretary John Reid - (as PM in waiting - Our Saviour and our Strength).

Reid has now made a play by announcing his resignation as Minister at the Home Office at the end of June this year.

Faced with a curious and stately gavotte at the top of the New (?) Labour Party there is evidently an elaborate jockeying for position which is prompted by several factors.....

1. The realisation that Gordon Brown is death for the party as Leader and will make them unelectable as a Government. It would of course be dreadful if he suffered a sudden and dramatic loss of eyesight in his one remaining good eye.

2. The results of PC Plod in unmasking the authors of the "Cash for Coronets Caper" ... the CPS and the Attorney General.

3. That Tony Blair may well announce his resignation on Thursday this week - but only as Party Leader. Again health worries might dramatically cut short a brilliant career.

4. There are no major terrist scares / events / street theatre in the UK or worldwide - which would introduce an uncertainty factor of great magnitude.

5. The Milibandwagon ... but he can wait.

Nothing is certain in this world of greasy poles, but Lord Patel's modest fiver is still on John Reid to lead and Hain to deputise. Apparently Betfair has seen a dramatic shortening of odds on the Gorbals Bruiser.

One thing is certain, there is nothing in the announced resignation which is designed to help Mr Brown and everything to assist John Reid.