Gordon Brown's popularity was at a low ebb, and Blairites were in open revolt.
The plan involved putting pressure on four senior 'Blair Babes' - all members of the government - to resign at around the same time. The idea was that a weakened prime minister, stripped publicly of support, would have no choice but to fall on his sword.
The four names being passed around included Bolton West MP Ruth Kelly - who did, in the event, announce she was standing down from the cabinet.
Two of other three were Jacqui Smith - who said earlier this week she was quitting as home secretary - and Hazel Blears. The last was Caroline Flint, the housing minister, who remains in post.
As it happens, Mr Brown went on to deliver an impressive speech in Manchester. The momentum behind David Miliband - the so-called 'Blair Apparent' - faltered after he was photographed grinning and inexplicably brandishing a banana at the conference cameras.
Party members who had been wavering threw their support behind the PM, and the rebellion was crushed.
So has the plan been reactivated in the light of Labour's sagging support? Have the rebels come together again, to try to push him out of office?
It seems not. Both Ms Smith and Ms Blears are understood to have acted alone. Whether they were unilaterally following 'the plan', or whether their high-profile resignations were simply co-incidence, remains unclear.
What is apparent is that their actions have triggered renewed speculation about Mr Brown's future - and seriously undermined his authority.
A letter is currently going round Labour MPs trying to drum up support for a leadership contest. Even those MPs who want to support their leader may think again if the local and European election results are as bad for Labour as most pundits predict.
The plotters may not have pushed Ms Blears and Ms Smith into action, but they may end up taking advantage all the same.
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Angelene19, Manchester (03/06/2009 at 19:12)
As much as I dislike Blears, she has definately stepped down in revenge on Brown as it undermines his position. She did it because he called her actions "unacceptable" which they were but he refused to say the same thing about others (Darling, Balls, Martin, Purnell etc) who have all flipped their homes and had their fingers in the till.
The lot of them disgust me and I hope they get a severe drubbing in the elections tomorrow. Teach them a lesson and vote for anyone except the big three.