Funny how the mind works. For some reason I started thinking about the next general election. Funny because the last one doesn't seem so long ago and I guess that's the problem with three year terms. For me five years is too long but three years is definitely too short. But anyway the next election is only just over a year away. The last possible date for the election to be held is Saturday, 18 November 2017, and here we are in August the year before.

So thinking that we're almost a year away I started looking at the players and I started thinking about John Key's future and my thoughts turned to who his successor is. Not because he's under threat but more because I have no idea who it is.

There were a couple of mentions this weekend of the issue, particularly on Q&A where Corin Dann flippantly asked Steven Joyce if he wanted the job to which Corin got a very well enunciated NO. Because he knows. He's the fixer not the leader. The backroom sorter. So the question is...who's next?

Key is a sitter. He's surprised me with his stickability and wanting of a 4^th term. I would have groomed a successor and bailed in my 10^th year to have fun with some big world jobs but that hasn't happened, so next year he's trying for a fourth term. But what if he does lose. Just sayin'. He'll quit. That night. He's not staying around to be a loser so who's next?

Well not Steven Joyce. Even though on iPredict he's the favourite. It won't be English because he's had a crack and you won't get 10 years out of him. Well I hope not for his sake. The Dipton man has done more than enough and deserves some fun. So who's next on iPredict. Judith Collins and Paula Bennett. Both with more arrow wounds in their back than are preferable in a leader. Other names are Jonathan Coleman who I quite like but it's Jonathon Who-man to most. Then we're down to Hekia Parata, Simon Bridges and Sam Lotu-Iiga. Puh lease.

I've missed one name and that's Amy Adams who's been doing a good job with the mess left by Judith Collins and appears to be John Key's favourite right now. She's sensible and normal and that's half the battle won but seems as much a chance to become PM as Theresa May in the UK...uhhh..hold on.

There's no-one next and it's exactly the same as the day Helen Clark lost after three terms and suddenly we all realised there was no-one next and nearly four terms later Labour is still without the one. At least Labour knows that after Little will come Ardern eventually. Not Robertson because he's too important as their Joyce. But National. Really. Succession plans are so very important if you want a dynasty and at the moment I can't see one.