Today's the day

College Green has been a lot busier over the last couple of days.. quite a few gazebo type things have been set up to keep the rain off the political commentators who regularly report from there. There's even a small stand. When I finally pass the Green on the way to work today, I would imagine it will be quite a busy place since today is the day we have all been expecting for over a year:

It looks like it will be today that Tony Blair finally announces that he is standing down as party leader. If the press is to be believed he will inform the cabinet this morning then travel to his Sedgefield constituency to announce his decision among the party workers who first selected him as their parliamentary candidate on 24 years ago.

Blair will remain in post pending the outcome of a leadership election which Gordon Brown looks set to win handsomely. His only declared opponents are Micheal Meacher and John McDonnell; the chance of either beating Brown is risible. Unless there is a late and highly credible entrant in the leadership race, Brown will be Prime Minister in early June. Blair will return to the back benches and probably stand down as an MP at the next election.

A lot of words will be spent mulling over Blair’s leadership and there will be a lot of speculation over the direction of a Brown government. As a party member since just after the 1984 European elections I will be compelled to add my own views but not right now