Sunday, May 07, 2006
Abuse of office?
The Sunday Times reports that the Metropolitan Police are considering a complaint, which claims John Prescott committed the offence of misconduct in a public office by carrying on his affair during working hours:
Legal experts say the offence — which has previously carried a sentence of community service — applies to all public servants including councillors and government ministers.
The complaint has been lodged by Alistair Watson, a retired Glasgow police officer, who helped to bring about a criminal inquiry into cash for peerages when he wrote to the police about alleged inducements to fund city academies.
In a letter to Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, Watson refers to the case of a former constable in Greater Manchester convicted of four counts of misconduct in public office in February. Three of the counts related to occasions when he had sexual intercourse with a woman at her home while he was on duty. He was sentenced to 200 hours community service.
Watson’s letter states: “I think in the interest of equality of justice, there is no reason why Mr Prescott and Miss Temple cannot be prosecuted, as this police officer was.”
He also calls for the police to seize Temple’s profits from selling her story under the Proceeds of Crime Act: “I believe this would go some way to deter others in public employ.”
The Police are examining the complaint before deciding whether to launch an investigation. The paper goes on to say that:
Prescott was stripped of his departmental responsibility in Friday’s cabinet reshuffle — a move seen as punishment for the affair that tarnished Labour’s image in the run-up to the local elections. He remains as deputy prime minister and will continue to stand in when Tony Blair is away. He will also keep his £134,000 salary and grace-and-favour homes.
According to the Observer amongst the spoils that the Deputy Prime Minister will be holding onto is a £1.5 million pension package. Now I am not normally one to criticise people for receiving the rate for the job but in this case I believe that we are all justified in asking just what is the job that Prescott is doing and is it worth the remuneration and perks that come with it? It is a question that many others have asked as well:
Lord Oakeshott, Liberal Democrat pensions spokesman, said: 'First it was two Jags, then two pads. Now it seems we have two pensions Prescott. No fat-cat director in the private sector would dream of awarding himself such a generous pension for a part-time job.'
Chris Grayling, the Tory spokesman on transport, who has accused Blair of misusing taxpayers' money by keeping Prescott in government, said: 'Just this extra pension cost to the taxpayer of keeping John Prescott in his position could have paid for four additional nurses. That is without other trappings such as his official residence and his ministerial car.'
Pensioners' groups will use the disclosure of the large sum required to buy Prescott's pension to draw attention to the retirement crisis facing the majority of workers, who are due to retire with pension savings that average only £20,000. This is one-fifth of the pension bonus that Blair has awarded Prescott by keeping him on in his post as Deputy Prime Minister.
Labour MP Geraldine Smith said that she was astonished by the reshuffle. 'I think it is outrageous that the Deputy Prime Minister loses his department but keeps his position, his salary and the perks of the job. It seems absolutely astonishing.'
It is little wonder that 'the people's party' is no longer seen as representing the interests of ordinary working people but are instead perceived as being more concerned with looking after themselves.
Legal experts say the offence — which has previously carried a sentence of community service — applies to all public servants including councillors and government ministers.
The complaint has been lodged by Alistair Watson, a retired Glasgow police officer, who helped to bring about a criminal inquiry into cash for peerages when he wrote to the police about alleged inducements to fund city academies.
In a letter to Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan police commissioner, Watson refers to the case of a former constable in Greater Manchester convicted of four counts of misconduct in public office in February. Three of the counts related to occasions when he had sexual intercourse with a woman at her home while he was on duty. He was sentenced to 200 hours community service.
Watson’s letter states: “I think in the interest of equality of justice, there is no reason why Mr Prescott and Miss Temple cannot be prosecuted, as this police officer was.”
He also calls for the police to seize Temple’s profits from selling her story under the Proceeds of Crime Act: “I believe this would go some way to deter others in public employ.”
The Police are examining the complaint before deciding whether to launch an investigation. The paper goes on to say that:
Prescott was stripped of his departmental responsibility in Friday’s cabinet reshuffle — a move seen as punishment for the affair that tarnished Labour’s image in the run-up to the local elections. He remains as deputy prime minister and will continue to stand in when Tony Blair is away. He will also keep his £134,000 salary and grace-and-favour homes.
According to the Observer amongst the spoils that the Deputy Prime Minister will be holding onto is a £1.5 million pension package. Now I am not normally one to criticise people for receiving the rate for the job but in this case I believe that we are all justified in asking just what is the job that Prescott is doing and is it worth the remuneration and perks that come with it? It is a question that many others have asked as well:
Lord Oakeshott, Liberal Democrat pensions spokesman, said: 'First it was two Jags, then two pads. Now it seems we have two pensions Prescott. No fat-cat director in the private sector would dream of awarding himself such a generous pension for a part-time job.'
Chris Grayling, the Tory spokesman on transport, who has accused Blair of misusing taxpayers' money by keeping Prescott in government, said: 'Just this extra pension cost to the taxpayer of keeping John Prescott in his position could have paid for four additional nurses. That is without other trappings such as his official residence and his ministerial car.'
Pensioners' groups will use the disclosure of the large sum required to buy Prescott's pension to draw attention to the retirement crisis facing the majority of workers, who are due to retire with pension savings that average only £20,000. This is one-fifth of the pension bonus that Blair has awarded Prescott by keeping him on in his post as Deputy Prime Minister.
Labour MP Geraldine Smith said that she was astonished by the reshuffle. 'I think it is outrageous that the Deputy Prime Minister loses his department but keeps his position, his salary and the perks of the job. It seems absolutely astonishing.'
It is little wonder that 'the people's party' is no longer seen as representing the interests of ordinary working people but are instead perceived as being more concerned with looking after themselves.
