Ticking the boxes
The ducks are in a row. The boxes are ticked. Choose, indeed, any cliché you fancy. It only remains to name the day for the Glenrothes by-election.
Those ducks/boxes? Firstly, Gordon Brown has strengthened his authority by reshuffling his cabinet in a manner that disarms his critics, LBJ style (think tents, think externally directed fluid).
Secondly, he has dodged the prospect of a further by-election, this time for the Holyrood seat of Jack McConnell.
Thirdly, the SNP victor in Glasgow East, John Mason, has now taken his seat in the Commons, waved on his way from the Dear Green Place by John Prescott. (At least, I think he was waving.)
Glenrothes now beckons. Few expect that it will be on any date other than 6 November. But the writ has yet to be moved. By contrast with Glasgow East, there is a distinct absence of urgency.
As to Motherwell and Wishaw, J. McConnell's seat, it has now become embroiled in shabby manoeuvring or sharp politics: delete according to taste.
You know what's happened, of course.
Jack McConnell is no longer taking up his post as High Commissioner to Malawi in the immediate future.
Instead, he's going to be a part-time envoy for the PM, working on drafting a plan for building capacity in states recovering from conflict.
No need consequently to step down from his Holyrood seat. No need for a by-election.
As I advised listeners to the wireless, the motivation for this switch is primarily political.
Labour didn't fancy a by-election in Motherwell. Right now, Labour doesn't fancy a by-election anywhere.
However, there is an authentic background to the new post. Gordon Brown has espoused the concept of capacity building.
In a 2005 speech in Edinburgh, he advocated what he called a "new Marshall plan" for the struggling nations of Africa and elsewhere.
Mr Brown has pursued that issue since, notably with the United Nations. He has now asked Mr McConnell - who similarly has an interest in this topic - to draft recommendations which would go to the UN. It's a genuine challenge.
Still and all, this is an electoral wheeze. If you're one of Labour's opponents, you might find that scandalous. If you're one of Labour's supporters, you might think: smart move, about time the party stopped beating itself up.
Will you to Scone? No, cousin, I'll to Fife.
I'm 
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