The resignation timetables... how it will happen

As everyone waits for the inevitable Blair resignation timetable announcement on Thursday, we've always known that his deputy, John "Two Jags" Prescott has said he will go at the same time. Obviously this is a white lie because if it really happened at the same time no one would notice Prescott's announcement because they'd all be talking about Blair's, and, the way Blair is obsessed with news management you know it will be coordinated.

Now, Prescott has always said he would tell the Party before he told the media when the time came. This probably means that Prescott will announce his resignation timetable after Blair's. The mostly likely time that this will happen therefore, assuming that Blair sticks to the Thursday theory, is Friday.

As it happens this is quite in keeping with what I've heard will be happening on Thursday. Apparently, Prezza has summoned all the party apparatchik in his constituency to a meeting on Thursday evening. Presumably this is the "tell the Party first" meeting and then the formal media announcement will follow in the morning. This fits in nicely with news management as well which will go like this:

• Thursday lunchtime-ish, Blair announces resignation timetable
• Thursday all day, media analysis of "what it all means" (as if we've not had that already for the past year?)
• Thursday evening, Prescott tells constituency party of plans.
• Friday morning, paper carry political obituaries, "Ten years on..." type stuff.
• Friday lunchtime-ish, Prescott announces his resignation timetable.
• Friday all day, media plays that punch on loop.
• Saturday paper do Prescott political obituary with picture of that punch.
• Saturday lunchtime-ish, Gordon Brown kicks off his "Now it's my turns" campaign. Gordon will not be Macavity next Saturday, guaranteed.
  
• Sunday all day, media talks about Gordon Brown.
• Monday morning papers talk about Brown.