Jack Layton has announced he’s temporarily stepping down as Official Opposition leader, after announcing today at a Toronto news conference that his cancer has returned. (New Democratic Party of Canada official statement)
Some others who caught the video of the press conference told me that Layton didn’t look that good. Gaunt, shaky, lost a lot of weight …
Since he didn’t specify the cancer, my journalistic instinct tells me that it’s the type of cancer you don’t come back from. I hope I’m wrong, at least for the sake of his family … but I somehow doubt it.
UPDATE: Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight says Layton’s choice for interm leader is to forestall a leadership battle — and it shows he doesn’t expect to be back.