He is finally no longer mooching off of the taxpayer!

Prescott is now no longer living in his grace-and-favour apartment, no longer has his ministerial Jaguar, or his security team. And about time. He should have lost them the minute his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister came into effect.

Ex-Cabinet members certainly don't need - or deserve - taxpayer-funded government cars or accommodation. They lose any right to them as soon as they resign or are sacked from the government. They exist only to facilitate a minister to do their job, and once they are no longer doing that job, they do not deserve or need them at all. A security team, on the other hand, may be needed by ex-ministers. But I doubt that many do.

Source: The Times

When I blogged about John Prescott being released from hospital after his pneumonia and going to his grace-and-favour apartment in Admiralty House, I said: "Well, just so long as he is out of his grace-and-favour apartment in just over two weeks [on 27 June when his resignation comes into effect], it's fine." But now it appears that he won't be leaving the apartment which we, the taxpayers, have provided for him for ten years:

"JOHN PRESCOTT is to be allowed to remain in his grace-and-favour flat at Admiralty House in Whitehall after leaving the government this week.
The deputy prime minister, who is recuperating after a bout of pneumonia, has privately agreed with Sir Gus O’Donnell, the cabinet secretary, that he can stay temporarily while he looks for alternative accommodation in London...
The unusual arrangement to stay on is set to be challenged as the flat is estimated to cost the taxpayer £100,000 a year. Tax experts claim he should face a hefty bill on the accommodation as he can no longer claim it is an essential perk of his job.
Whitehall sources said last week that the arrangement was temporary as Prescott, who announced his resignation last September, had yet to find new accommodation... [since] his property search in the capital has been delayed by his illness." (The Times)

Why has he taken this long to start to look for accomodation? He has known that he would be leaving since September, for crying out loud - and the specific date for more than seven weeks. So why has he not looked for accomdation earlier? Also, since he must have had a place in London before he became DPM, why did he sell that in the first place, and not just rent it out whilst living in government property?

If Prescott stays in Admiralty House after 27 June, he should pay at least the market rate rent on the apartment. When Prescott's resignation comes into effect on 27 June, he is no longer part of the government, and no longer has any right at all to the use of government-owned property.

He must leave on that day or pay the full rent, either directly to the government's coffers or as a donation to good national charity, for the extra time spent there. If he does not, he is thumbing his nose at the British public as he lives off of our purse even when he no longer has even the job of DPM to provide even the slightest justification for it. Prescott can move into a hotel, a rented place, or even onto the streets for all I care, but on 27 June he must be out of his grace-and-favour apartment.

UPDATE: It appears that the Blairs are to do the same, staying in Chequers after 27 June and Tony's resignation [via Dizzy].

Source: The Times

The contest for the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party is "a cross between Big Brother and the Muppet Show" says David Cameron, to which Tony Blair's reply was basically 'I agree' as instead of refuting the statement he said "with the greatest respect to all my colleagues who are standing for the deputy leader: the leadership is the important thing." The leadership for which there was absolutely no vote at all, by anyone - not even an affirming vote. Nice to see that Blair has kept his love of democracy going all these years.

The most important question is, however - which Muppets are they [I'm going to do Blair, Brown, and Prescott as well]?

Tony Blair just has to be Kermit the Frog - the ringleader, who hogs all the limelight, despite seeming pretty incompetent. Especially since it's not easy being green - when you want to jet off all over the world, that is.

Gordon Brown is Sam the Eagle. because he's dull, boring, and usually wrong.

John Prescott can be none other than Sweetums. Just look at the picture, and guess why.

Hilary Benn just looks like Beaker. He may be described as an "orator" but I can never hear all that much more than Beaker's meeps...

Hazel Blears is none other than Miss Piggy. Who else could constantly follow Kermit (aka Tony Blair) around?

Alan Johnson is Clifford, because he's coooool, man. And he wears sunglasses.

Peter Hain just has to be Fozzie Bear. Because he is orange. Hain doesn't have any other distinguishing features, really.

Jon Cruddas is Gonzo the Great. "Do you really think this will work?" Gonzo's reply: "No! Isn't it great?!"

Harriet Harman doesn't appear to have a Muppet alter-ego - that I can discover right now, anyway...

Please let me know if you agree or disagree with [or have any other comments on] these classifications in the comments!

First I blogged about Prescott going to hospital, then following reports that he had pneumonia I wished him well - and now he has been released from hospital:

"Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has been sent home from hospital after being treated for pneumonia.
Mr Prescott's condition will continue to be monitored by University College Hospital, London.
A spokesman for the deputy prime minister said he would rest and recover in his Admiralty House apartment." (BBC)

Well, just so long as he is out of his grace-and-favour apartment in just over two weeks, it's fine. He officially leaves his job and ministerial perks on 27 June, the same day as Tony Blair, when a new deputy leader of the Labour Party [and potential Deputy Prime Minister] takes over.

The sooner this farce of a transition period is over and we can stop having two "Prime Ministers" the better. Only 7 days of political paralysis left!

Source: BBC

I blogged just a few days ago about the irony of John Prescott returning from his junket to Jamaica and ending straight up in hospital with what was said to be a chest infection. It turns out that what he actually has is pneumonia - which can be serious in someone as old as Prescott is, at 69.

When I wrote about Two Jags going into hospital before I ended with:

"That he comes back from Jamaica and then ends up in hospital with a chest infection is quite amusing. (So long as it isn't serious, of course. Not even Prescott deserves that.)"

And I stand by that. Not even a politician like Two Shags, with his hypocritical version of socialism deserves a serious illness. No-one does. Thus I shall take this opportunity to say Get Well Soon to Prezza.

It is likely that he won't get out of the hospital until around the end of June - when he leaves his job and whoever has been elected from the field of six candidates replaces him - as deputy leader, even if not as Deputy Prime Minister.

UPDATE: Prescott is "laughing and joking" in hospital, so he can't be too bad.

Source: BBC

John Prescott, back from his junket in Jamaica, and into hospital with a chest infection. His trip to Jamaica was extended by a week, at taxpayers expense, so that he could enjoy a family holiday. A Foreign Office source said:

"Prescott just doesn't care at this stage. He knows this is an outrageous junket and he knows that everyone else knows it.
But his attitude is 'eff them because I'll be the one coming back with the effing sun tan'."

Which shows precisely Prescot's attitude to the British taxpayer, and his hypocrisy over claiming to be a 'socialist' with the interests of the working class at heart. Otherise he would be saving public money to put into education and health services rather than on junkets in the caribbean.

That he comes back from Jamaica and then ends up in hospital with a chest infection is quite amusing. (So long as it isn't serious, of course. Not even Prescott deserves that.)

UPDATE: Prescott actually has pneumonia.

Sources: The Telegraph, BBC