I admire this vote because it is a ‘cleaning’ vote and one should not be afraid to read between the lines.

There is no need to outvote this government and place at the helm a party which has no credentials. The PN has a unique quality which is to be admired. It is a self cleansing quality which the PN is not ashamed to admit.

We are all humans and we all err. We all made bad choices especially when choosing a narcissus with a form 2 certificate tag ‘do not open before Christmas’.

There are other toy boys which we all thought that being so young they would bring a breath of fresh air, instead they brought a stench of selfishness and arrogance, as if we all owe them a favour.

I wish Simon well and the same to all those who, like me, believe in the PN that brought about a cyclone of change and though mistakes were made, we still have a better quality of life than ever before.

I believe that choosing young means choosing young and fresh ideas not good looking sexy candidates who only live in front of the mirror, and think nothing but about themselves!

All councillors know how to chose a winning horse. The only difference is that PN councillors are at a liberty whom to choose whilst the Labour delegates, in their majority, are told what to do. That is yet another difference between PN and Labour.

Joseph Muscat had been the anointed one for years, at least from the time he was elected MEP.

I am surprised how someone like George Abela didn’t realise this but there again he wasn’t in Alfred Sant’s camp, George Vella was.

It is really so simple. The Ministers joined forces to shut Simon Busuttil out of the race, Simon being considered an outsider.

They reckoned that they could not beat him individually but could do so collectively – they were wrong.

I pity Tonio Fenech and cannot fathom how he failed to realise that he was being used and how some backed him because they were aiming at eventual leadership themselves, perhaps Tonio is too decent a person to have realised this.

Some are known and others remain hidden, they joined forces to take their chance in the run for leadership that will necessarily take place just after the coming general elections. One deceitful MP tried to convince some Counsillors to vote for Tonio Fenech by telling them that it was a Cabinet decision. He is not even a Cabinet Minister. Shame on him.

How self centered and pathetically cut of from the people these MPs are and what a contrast to the measured and intelligent way the Councillors have voted, notwithstanding this, it is still not over for Simon Busuttil.

Simon will face many underhand currents that will try to bring him down between now and election day, something that will not be solely emanating from within the PL camp.

The people know Simon Busuttil can break away from a parochial political culture but for this to happen the people must now give the PN their first preference vote in the coming general elections. The people must keep in mind those Members of Parliament who voted against popular request, opting to think of themselves in the race for deputy leader.

The people’s vote has the strength, after all, to mould that front bench.

That’s quite a conspiracy theory, Mr.Farrugia.

Are you suggesting that the whole cabinet (bar one) chose to have the proverbial egg on their faces just so we could have a close race and rekindled interest?

I guess it was more collegial vote than anything else.

What is truly interesting is that if the delegates are closer to, and more representative of the Nationalist electorate then we have a serious disconnect between the electorate and the cabinet.

More Patria and less Religio, anyone?

Unlike the Labour councillors who chose Alfred Sant over Lino Spiteri and Joseph Muscat over George Abela.

If Joseph Muscat does not win the next election the labour councillors should call it a day.

Yet, as much as I prefer Simon over Tonio in this role, something was missing in his speech. The whole vibe was missing and it’s like he was the odd one out in that room.

I suddenly don’t have a good feeling about this either and the lack of support from the other MPs will not help either.

In my opinion, there was no need for a deputy leader election as there was more to lose than gain in the internal dynamics of the party.

Who would have thought it?

[Daphne – Don’t talk bollocks.]

If he does .. they will lose my vote .. and that of my family.