01/04/05 - April Prescott Day!!!

To provide a little light relief this April Fools Day, we thought you’d appreciate a reminder of some of John Prescott’s greatest gaffes. Remember, this is the man chosen by Mr Blair to be his Deputy Prime Minister and have responsibility for policy on housing, planning, regional and local government and the fire service.

1992, John Prescott promises: ‘The Tories have always professionally delivered far better than us and I want to change that’ (LWT, Walden, 24th May 1992).

1997, John Prescott promises: ‘I will have failed if in five years time there are not...far fewer journeys by car. It’s a tall order but I urge you to hold me to it’ (Guardian, 6 May 1997). Between 1997 and 2003, cars and taxis use rose by seven per cent.

1999, John Prescott says: ‘I obviously want to go out with people saying that I was a good administrator. I’d like to be able to say at the end of the day I delivered’ (Guardian, December 6 1999). John Prescott’s time as Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions was condemned by a Labour-dominated Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1999: ‘The Department’s achievements... have largely been confined to the publication of documents and policy statements and the establishment of task forces… There have been few tangible improvements’.

1999, John Prescott uses his car to ferry him 250 yards from his hotel to the conference centre at the Labour Party Conference. He says the reason for using the car is to avoid messing his wife’s hair up.

2000, John Prescott says the Dome is ‘the first big test of competence’ for the Labour Government (The Times, 5 January 2000), having already promised: ‘If we can’t make this work, we’re not much of a Government’ (Daily Telegraph, 17 November 1999). By December 2004, the Millenium Dome had cost £789 million.

2001, John Prescott punches a protestor during the General Election campaign. This is despite promising in 1994: ‘I don’t pursue vendattas or punch people on the nose. Yes, I am a passionate guy in politics, but it never affects the judgment of what has to be done’ (Guardian, 25 June 1994).

2002, John Prescott says: ‘In some regions – the North East for instance – many people believe that only an elected regional assembly will allow the region to truly take control of its destiny’ (Regions White Paper, May 2002). In 2004, people in the North East reject a regional assembly by 78 per cent to 22 per cent.

2003, John Prescott gives journalists a two finger gesture as enters Downing Street to discuss the euro assessment.