Tom Griffin (London, OK): 'When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions', said Shakespeare, and his dictum seems to be holding true for the Scottish Labour Party at the moment. Today's Scotsman suggests the party could be faced with defending a third by-election this year:
Labour leaders at Holyrood are waiting for Jack McConnell's decision on when he intends to stand down as the MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw so he can go to Malawi as the UK's High Commissioner.
The former first minister has said he won't make a decision until he gets confirmation of his appointment from the Foreign Office.
If the Foreign Office endorses his appointment, his contract should come to him soon, which means he could stand down in the next couple of months, forcing a by-election for Holyrood on the same day as the Glenrothes poll.
It is a daunting prospect for Labour's incoming Holyrood leader, especially given some of the figures currently being released from Yougov's polling for the SNP (hat-tip Mike Small).
