All Prezza And Incorrect

‘HOW was your weekend? What about the earlier part of the week? Trains run on time? Anyone punch you in the head? Work colleagues, friends and family start talking in some demented Dutch-Norwegian hybrid language in the Hull dialect?

Since last Friday night, John Prescott, 67, has been in charge of the country and we are interested to see what impact this has had.

With Tony Blair on his tour of Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia, this is one of those times when the man infamous of his “disagreements with the English language” (Telegraph) is at the helm.

There remains a lingering suspicion in some quarters that in making Prescott the Deputy Prime Minister, the beleaguered Blair deftly shows us how much worse things could be.

And things may get worse. As the Times reports, Prezza says he knows when Blair intends to step down. Standing in for Blair at Prime Minister’s Questions, Prescott was asked by Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague when Blair will be spending more time in the garden. Prescott responded: “That’s for me to know and you to guess.”

This might not be one of the best answers of all time, but it is at least in English, and for that Prescott should be commended. Just get a load of another answer to an earlier question, on council tax and pensioners.

As the Times transcribes: ““That I think is what we have done, that is what we continue to do and, as for the argument about the payment of the council tax, let me tell him and he must know again in the comparison between our Government and his Government, that we gave in the response 39 per cent increase in real terms in council tax compared to the last five years of which he had some influence where there was an actual reduction of 7 per cent in real terms of contribution to councils for their council tax.”

You still there?

If you are, we have more news of how things can get worse, and note in the Times that Blair is likely to be questioned by the police about the cash for peerages scandal.

Scotland Yard says it will speak to all “the actors” involved in the matter, in which £14 million has been raised in secret loans to the Labour Party.

The Times says Tony Blair knew all about the deals before they came to light. Which surely means that he will be interviewed by detectives.

Which could – it just could – spell the end of the Blair era. Which could see Prescott assume the role of PM for longer than it takes Tony to shake hands in Indonesia and top up his tan in Barbados.

Prescott in No. 10? As the man might say on that: “For the first time hypothecating any regime change to government and I invite them to say if this hypothecation they are compared to adopt it.”

You see…’

Posted: 30th, March 2006 | In: Uncategorized Comment | TrackBack | Permalink