Building's editor won't miss dealing with the deputy prime minister - it's a just a shame he seems to have benefited from the Cabinet reshuffle.

So he's survived. Despite being unmasked as the office lethario, John Prescott retains all his trappings of office and no doubt the arrogance that we've come to associate with him. On the brief occasions I've met him, he's been utterly charmless. He's tried to humiliate my journalists over the years that've dared to ask fairly sensible questions at press conferences, and trade unionists tell me that his manner in negotiations has been equally poor. As far as dealing with the industry, you only have to recall his attack on housebuilders claiming that it was their hoarding of land that was the root of the housing crisis. Thank goodness Kate Barker came along and proved him wrong. Rather than being humbled by the whole affair, what do we have but Two Jags - or Two Shags as he now known - back with a big wide grin on his face. Delusional government or what?

Topics