Dropping out?

Span has an insider's view of the Alliance's announcement that they won't be contesting the list, and she's not very happy:

So I've got back in - started going to meetings again, having my say, raising funds, and through no fault of my own found myself subbing for the youth rep on the Alliance Council this weekend. Of course what happened in that room is not for consumption outside the membership, but suffice to say the media line that was agreed is NOT what has been put out by the Leader in the last two days.

Oh dear. Does this mean a public retraction, or will they be stuck with what has been announced?

While it seems to be good tactics (absent a miracle a vote for the Alliance is a wasted one, and so they might as well direct them somewhere useful), not contesting the list will almost certainly result in the final demise of the party. But maybe they can salvage a decent left-wing think-tank from the ruins...