It took a week or so, but city council’s political machines are now whirring at top speed amid the mayoral scandal that’s rocked London.

As first reported by The Free Press, Coun. Tanya Park pushed her name forward Wednesday to be considered by her council colleagues for the deputy mayor post left vacant by the leave of Coun. Maureen Cassidy.

Park, a first-term politician who represents the downtown ward, says she won’t lobby anyone but is willing to fill the job when council decides to do so — possibly as soon as Thursday night.

Shortly after The Free Press broke the story of Park’s interest, Coun. Bill Armstrong, London’s longest-serving politician, announced he, too, is interested in the job.

The 14 members of council will vote to name someone deputy mayor.

Park might be a natural fit. That’s due in part to the fact there were only four women elected to council in 2014, and Cassidy’s role as deputy mayor was trumpeted as a way to ensure some form of gender parity atop its power structure.

With Cassidy off the job, that leaves Park, Virginia Ridley and Anna Hopkins as the only women’s voices on council. Park acknowledged gender may play a role in council’s decision.

“Gender balance is a really important factor,” Park said.

She added: “Right now we’re in a mess and we need to have some level heads there that are focused on the work. And I’ve demonstrated that throughout this entire ordeal.”

City council has two deputy mayors — one appointed by Mayor Matt Brown, the other voted in by council’s majority. Paul Hubert is Brown’s pick.

The other spot had been filled by Cassidy, per council’s choice, until last week, when she quit the job and took a self-imposed leave as Ward 5 councillor.

It’s quite likely council will seek to fill the spot at its Thursday meeting by holding a vote to appoint someone.

Park is quite popular with her council colleagues, but she’s also weathering a political headache related to the release by the city of its integrity commissioner’s report on the Brown-Cassidy scandal.

An internal memo obtained by The Free Press shows city hall’s top bureaucrats were initially skittish Tuesday about making the report public, despite having received the green light from its author, integrity watchdog Greg Stewart.

The Free Press had already published much of its details as they mulled the implications of making it public. Meanwhile, TV cameras captured Park coming out of a meeting with then-Acting Mayor Paul Hubert and senior bureaucrats.

The watchdog’s entire report was made public late Tuesday. Park acknowledges the private meeting related to the handling of Stewart’s report, but says she was pushing to publish.

“Every (integrity commissioner) report that has a finding has to be a public document,” she said.

A citizens’ group, Women & Politics, weighed in on the entire scandal Wednesday. Their statement suggests council should strongly consider making a woman deputy mayor.

“We need more women on council, not less,” they state. “We also need more diversity in the leadership roles at the top.

“As council moves forward with the selection of a new deputy mayor, we highly encourage them to consider diversity, including gender, as a priority for the role.”

The group’s statement also expresses support for Cassidy. It makes no mention of Brown.