The Rudd plan that's now in the bin

Kevin Rudd tells the media he won't be running for the leadership minutes before the scheduled ballot orchestrated to clear him a path. Picture: Stefan Postles/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

A DETAILED action plan to "hit the ground running" had been drawn up by Kevin Rudd's closest supporters, as recriminations flowed in the wake of yesterday's aborted leadership coup.

Supporters of the former Prime Minister had mapped out plans for him to tour western Sydney as early as next week, and potentially make a significant infrastructure announcement if the Caucus numbers had fallen his way.

But the chances of Mr Rudd being restored to the helm of the Labor Party now appear slim, even though he remains far and away Labor's most popular figure among marginal seat voters.

Mr Rudd's dispirited supporters were last night reeling after their plan for him to return to the leadership blew up in their faces. Key backers were last night lamenting their failure to secure hopeful votes from Labor MPs who face an election trouncing in September.

Last Sunday, as he played in the annual cricket match between the Canberra Press Gallery and Federal MPs, Alan Griffin was musing that the chances of a leadership challenge were evenly balanced.

Mr Griffin, a former Veterans Affairs Minister, and several other key Caucus figures had been crunching numbers for Mr Rudd, expecting vulnerable and nervous backbenchers to shift their support away from Julia Gillard.

Along with Government Whip Joel Fitzgibbon, who resigned last night, and Human Services Minister Kim Carr, Mr Griffin had been charged with counting the numbers to determine whether Mr Rudd had sufficient support to oust Ms Gillard.

Critics of Mr Rudd last night were pointing at his decision not to run for the leadership as proof he had hung his supporters "out to dry" when they had tried to help restore him.

The biggest casualty from the aborted coup was Regional Development Minister Simon Crean, who was sacked from Cabinet after moving to trigger the leadership spill - in what he said was a necessary "circuit-breaker".

Defence Minister Stephen Smith last night said the day's events were the death knell for Mr Rudd or any other leadership contender.

Mr Smith argued that Mr Rudd had been comprehensively defeated 13 months ago 71 to 31 and Ms Gillard had been unanimously backed yesterday after Mr Rudd did not contest the ballott.

"It's over," Mr Smith said. "That's it. Finished."

Only hours after urging Mr Rudd to run, outgoing parliamentary secretary Richard Marles last night said the leadership issue was "conclusively determined" and was now united behind the PM.

"The caucus has very clearly spoken. The idea of a Rudd prime ministership is now over," Mr Marles said.

But one Labor MP, who supports Mr Rudd, said the former PM had made a smart move not to contest because two failed attempts would have made it harder.

"We're still alive," the MP said.

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