Sorry Dawn (and Monica)!
I have just returned from the Stormont Great Hall, where Margaret Ritchie threw her hat in the ring for the SDLP leadership. She is promising an as yet unspecified comprehensive plan for the future renewal of the party. I thought I ought to ask a question about whether having a female leader would make any difference either way to voters, but totally put my foot in it as I said (live on Talkback) that no other party here had a female leader.
How could I forget the PUP leader Dawn Purvis, my live guest on Inside Politics just on Sunday, or indeed the Women's Coalition's Monica McWilliams? Or going back even further Anne Dickson of the
Apologies to all. Dolores Kelly laughed about my gaffe and told me she was glad I was getting a taste of my own medicine.
So far as Margaret Ritchie's bid is concerned, her supporters appear to believe they have strong backing not only from her home patch in South Down, but up in the North West, in West Belfast and even from the Balmoral branch in South Belfast (Carmel Hanna was one of the MLAs who stood beside her). The minister reckons she has at least 50% of the SDLP's Assembly team on side.
This may give Alasdair McDonnell food for thought. I understand he will continue his internal consultations and is unlikely to announce his intentions publicly for a week or so.
One source questioned whether Ms Ritchie will hold on to her ministerial job if she becomes leader. I asked her but didn't get an answer.
On the margins of the Ritchie announcement, the minister's advisor was trying to take photos for the party's in house magazine. But half way through the photo shoot, one of the snappers present pointed out it might be better to take the lens cap off.
I'm 
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