Prescott Broke Ministerial Rules, Blair Asked Again to Step In

The Commons standards committee said upon the completion of its deliberation on John Prescott that it would take no action against the deputy prime minister as he had already registered the visit, albeit 11 months late.

The 'sentence' was meted out based on the report of standards watchdog Sir Philip Mawer's investigation of John Prescott over his trip to the estate of a super casino bidder and the gifts he received from the tycoon, Philip Anschutz. The report indicated that Prescott might have been in breach of the ministerial code based on these circumstances.

However, the committee was convinced that rules must begin to change in order to avoid future abuses. Contrary to previous speculations, the MPs have given Prescott more than "a slap on the wrist", with an added reprimand in the form of a request for a full independent inquiry.

Blair rejected the call for investigation for a second time, saying that he has seen no evidence that ministerial rules had been broken.

"If Mr Blair shies away from this then frankly the ministerial code will not be worth the paper it's written on," shadow culture secretary Hugo Swire commented.

Sir Philip Mawer gave Prescott credit for registering the trip even if it was long overdue. However, he asked: "the key question, which is one for the ministerial code, is whether he should have accepted the hospitality in the first place."

"That is a matter on which neither the standards and privileges committee or I can express a point of view," he added, with the underlying message that only Blair could sort the quandary out.