Alan Johnson, the man who could succeed John Prescott as Labour Party Deputy Leader, reveals on GMTV on Sunday that he used to be Dorneywood's postman! Speaking to Gloria Del Piero he says...Well look I know John Prescott because he’s my neighbouring MP in Hull. I also know Dorneywood because I was a postman there for five years before I was an MP, and I remember seeing Merlyn Rees who was the Home Secretary at the time sitting in the Beech Tree Pub in Dorneywood Road with all his special branch people around him having a pint of beer, and nobody made that a huge story and thought “why aren’t you at work?” He was drinking in the pub, which was great! Merlyn was perfectly entitled to his pint of beer! So let me tell you, the thing I’ve found most astounding about this is the suggestion that John Prescott was taking it easy. He works harder than probably anybody I know. It’s a very nice place Dorneywood. I only went into the servant’s quarters to deliver the mail but it looked very nice from the outside.
Alan Johnson goes on to say that him being Prime Minister would be like putting beagle on Mars. He also says he fancies the idea of being Deputy Leader, but wants Prescott to continue for as long as he wants to. Translation: Get Prezza out and let me beat that Harman woman!
7 comments:
"I only went into the servant’s quarters to deliver the mail"
Oh dear - I do hope John "class warrior" Prescott got rid of the servants when he moved in to Dorneywood. Somehow I doubt it.
GMTV Sunday Programme? they had harman last week, then before that simon hughes calling for ming to be judged at conference - and gordon's interview after the local elections. Shame it's on so early, really. Who wants to watch politics at 6am?
let me beat that Harman woman!
Yes, every time I see her I have an overwhelming desire to slap her too.
Beagle is on Mars. It came very close to getting there working. If they tried it again (it would cost less than the £20 million because most of the designing has been done) the odds (& everything is a matter of odds) are that it would work. Both UK & EU governments are working in NIH (not invented here) mode & demanding something at 10 times the cost.
It may be that Alan johnson knows this.
Sorry about the rant but there are important things outside Westminster.
"I remember seeing Merlyn Rees who was the Home Secretary at the time sitting in the Beech Tree Pub in Dorneywood Road with all his special branch people around him having a pint of beer, and nobody made that a huge story and thought “why aren’t you at work?”"
Alan Johnson should be reminded that the fuss wasn't simply about Prescott playing croquet per se, it was that, as DPM, he was supposed to be running the country in the PM's absence!
Mr Johnson's disclaimer of Prime Ministerial ambition does not ring true to me. If he'd said he had interest in being Prime Minister because of the demands of the job, or because he knew he wasn't really up to it, then fair enough - I'd have been prepared to take that at face value. But to dismiss the idea as merely improbable - "like putting the Beagle on Mars" - well, why is that so?
A lot of us think the idea of Johnson as PM is by no means improbable. It's certainly a lot less improbable in my view than the idea of Alan Milburn, Jack Straw, Margaret Beckett, Charles Clarke, Peter Hain or Harriet Harman at No 10.
Conclusion: I think he will run for the deputy's job, but not for it's own sake, because the job is not worth a pitcher of piss (as someone once said about the American vice-presidency.) He will run for the simple reason that it will put him in pole position for No 10 if it all goes tits-up for Gordon.
My last post should actually have read: "....if he's said he had no interest in becoming PM."
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