By Martin Banks - 19th August 2007
John Prescott’s nomination as British leader at the Council of Europe has sparked anger among colleagues and opposition members.
The former UK deputy prime minister was elected two months ago as leader of the Labour group on the organisation’s parliamentary assembly by a narrow margin of 12 votes to eight.
As leader of the largest political group, Prescott secures the job of heading the 36-strong UK delegation. His confirmation by prime minister Gordon Brown, expected when the UK parliament resumes in October, is a formality.
However, some members are incensed with Prescott being ‘parachuted’ into a job whose perks include generous travel, dinner and hotel expenses and a chauffeur-driven car.
As UK leader, Prescott, a former MEP, will occasionally chair the Strasbourg-based assembly, whose members are drawn from 47 countries.
So outraged was Labour backbencher MP Gordon Prentice that he resigned from the council, saying: “I just don’t think it’s appropriate that someone can come on the delegation and lead it straight away.”
Prescott will succeed MP Tony Lloyd, who resigned after becoming chairman of the parliamentary Labour party.
His only rival in the Labour leadership contest, Christine McCafferty, a council member since 1998, said: “I stood because I’ve been a member for a long time and felt I was best suited to represent the whole delegation.
“I didn’t expect anyone else to stand and, as Labour’s chairperson, it seemed a natural progression to lead the delegation. I suppose we’ll just have to see how it goes.”
Several members of the council, which meets four times a year, have voiced criticism and David Wilshire this week wrote to Brown registering the opposition of the 11-strong Tory delegation, which he leads.
Wilshire says that more than half the delegation oppose Prescott’s appointment, adding: “McCafferty was a perfectly acceptable choice and there is no way Prescott should be parachuted into this senior position.”
The letter reads “The council exists to safeguard and promote democracy. Given that John Prescott does not command the support of the majority of the UK delegation, I would urge you not to appoint him as its new leader.”
His comments are echoed by two of the four Liberal Democrat members, Nick Harvey and Michael Hancock.
“No-one should be able to step straight into such a post Prescott isn’t an appropriate choice and, as a newcomer to the council, will rely on others to hold his hand in order to find his way around what is a labrythine system,” said Harvey.
Hancock said, “Prescott certainly would not have been my choice as leader. McCafferty has the experience and would’ve done an excellent job but Labour has made its bed and must sleep in it.”
He compared Prescott with Lloyd, a former junior foreign office minister, who “was happy to join the council as an ordinary member” before securing the leadership five years ago.
However, Lloyd himself played down the importance of the job, saying: “The allowances are pretty modest and this is not a matter of John Prescott jumping aboard the EU gravy train.”
He added, “Having a former deputy PM as leader could be useful.”
As deputy PM, Prescott was used to controversy, most recently last May when he was heavily criticised following publication of photos showing him playing croquet on the lawn of his country retreat.
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