The second Saturday of the 2017 election campaign will go down in history as Godfrey Farrugia’s day.

The man who served as Health Minister for a year, was kicked out unceremoniously by Muscat while others who committed heinous sins were rewarded, and two weeks ago chose to resign his position as Labour whip on the eve of the announcement of the election date, has now completed the switch to the other side.

In the letter he wrote two weeks ago, when he told Muscat that he no longer felt comfortable in a Labour Party mired in corruption scandals and without a socialist heart, Farrugia was certainly torn in between his ideals and serving a party which he no longer felt his.

Yesterday’s letter was shorter, but the one verse that Farrugia wrote encapsulates the feeling many diehard Labourites are experiencing with Muscat’s leadership – the Labour Party has lost its soul. Powerful words coming from the heart of a man who worked closely with Muscat, but who could no longer withstand the PM’s low standards.

The shift is now complete, with Farrugia now joining his partner Marlene Farrugia, leader of the Democratic Party, who had herself crossed over to the other side when she resigned in November 2015. There were emotional scenes at the Nationalist Party headquarters, when the Farrugia couple walked in and Godfrey could not hold back when his PN counterpart for many months, whip David Agius, embraced him like a brother.

Godfrey Farrugia will today speak at the Nationalist Party mass meeting, in his hometown Zebbug, where he is a famous man. With hindsight, the choice of this locality indicates that the PN knew what was coming, but the dramatic events that unfolded yesterday will have a great bearing on the election.

Labour held five events yesterday, all in one day, but whatever they did continued to be overshadowed by what Godfrey Farrugia has done. That all the Prime Minister could say about a man who served the PL so well was “I wish him well” says a lot about how Muscat was livid at the choice Farrugia made.

A press conference in Marsascala, a political activity in Gozo which was followed by another press event on the permanent link and the closing of the congress in Vittoriosa did not grab any attention. The story of the day was Godfrey Farrugia. Not even an urgent press call claiming “an important development” in the Egrant case managed to shift the attention away. It then turned out it was Chris Cardona saying Busuttil should shoulder his responsibility if the Egrant case fizzles into nothing. Nothing new.

One good point coming from the Labour camp is the promise made by Muscat to remove parliamentary immunity, meaning that whatever MPs say would no longer be privileged. But we'll believe it when we see it. Muscat promised to remove the criminal libel law, but this never materialised because of the snap election.

Muscat has also not confirmed his participation at the leaders' debate at university, a platform he used so well in the last election. But things have changed, haven't they?

For its part, the Nationalist Party and Partit Demokratiku presented their list of 110 candidates for the upcoming election.

Alternattiva Demokratika remain a voice in the wilderness.