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Prescotts Officials Might Take Fall for Undeclared Gifts
Officials in the department of Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott are to be reprimanded by the Commons watchdog Sir Philip Mawer for failing to ensure that the gifts received by Prescott from casino tycoon Philip Anschutz are registered.
Anschutz is the owner of the Millennium Dome and is bidding for the site to become Britain's first super casino.
Sir Mawer, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, had been tasked to launch an investigation on Prescott and has handed over his findings to the MPs on the standards and privileges committee.
Prescott is said to be only likely to receive a "mild rebuke" because of his quick action on registering the trip on the register of members' interests, as soon as the issue became public.
Many believe that Prescott has escaped dire consequences by saying that his permanent secretary has informed him that there was no need to declare the visit since it was an official trip. The Colorado stay was a stopover in Prescott's 9-day visit to the US.
Labour backbenchers gave Prescott their support as he faced questions from MPs in his regular commons session. Prescott has been accused of corruption, which he adamantly denied.
William Hague, the former Tory leader, advised Prescott to resign from the frontbench: "Being stripped of your department, but costing UK Pounds 2 million a year is not comfortable for you, nor acceptable to the country."
Tuesday, 01. 2006
Victor Copeland