Speculation had been growing in recent days that Tony Reeves was going to resign from his position as the chief executive of Liverpool City Council.
So it wasn't a major surprise to those within the city's political circles when the news of his immediate departure was confirmed today. That didn't make it any less of a seismic moment for a local authority that has had far too many of them in recent years.
It feels like the council has been engulfed in chaos for much of the past five years. The arrest and dismissal of former chief executive Ged Fitzgerald in 2017 was followed by regeneration director Nick Kavanagh and then mayor Joe Anderson going the same way in 2019 and 2020 respectively. All three men deny wrongdoing and have not been charged.
READ MORE: Liverpool Council chief executive Tony Reeves resigns
One of the few constants in a tumultuous period that has seen the council on the receiving end of an historically bad government inspection report - and the ignominious imposition of Whitehall commissioners at the Cunard - has been Mr Reeves.
He was the only name pulled out for praise in that otherwise devastating inspection report and was seen by many as the person brave enough and capable enough to turn around the fortunes of the city council. His departure leaves Liverpool rudderless and rocking once again.
Its not just the chief executive that has resigned in recent weeks. His deputy chief executive and finance director Mel Creighton quit at the end of May. Both figures had been targeted for criticism after news broke of a catalogue of mistakes that would add millions to the council's energy bills.
Elsewhere in the council's senior management set up and the role of a new permanent director of neighbourhoods is yet to be filled. It had been thought an appointment would be made months ago but disagreements between councillors and commissioners about potential candidates mean that process is still ongoing.
The theme of instability at the council continues when looking at the number of interim figures in key positions. Before his own departure, Mr Reeves announced that following Ms Creighton's departure, deputy finance director Chris Buss would act up as the council's statutory Section 151 officer.
The regeneration department also has a temporary boss in the form of Mark Bourgeois, who has taken over on an interim basis from Mark Bousfield - who was himself an interim figure. All this comes against a backdrop of plenty of political instability as well.
This week, the council's ruling Labour group, led by Mayor Joanne Anderson, is expected to vote to remove the position of elected mayor. They will instead back a return to the leader and cabinet model, despite this option coming bottom of the pile in a widely criticised recent public consultation.
The expected return to the leader and cabinet model, would come into play in time for next year's all out local elections. Both of these factors and the inevitable battles they will bring around will surely only add to the chaotic and unstable atmosphere surrounding the city's council.
And it is that instability and that theme of chaos that the government will be watching keenly now as they prepare to announce their next intentions for this city and this council. The second commissioners report is expected soon and is unlikely to be anything other than deeply critical of the current situation.
It had been widely expected that further interventions in the running of the city council by government would be recommended in that report. Today's latest bombshell will surely only make that unpalatable eventuality all the more likely.
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