Rod Liddle Rod Liddle

The real disgrace is a fit of bogus morality about Prescott

Rod Liddle say that — whatever his political failures — the Deputy Prime Minister is the victim of a deplorably hypocritical press assault

Rod Liddle say that — whatever his political failures — the Deputy Prime Minister is the victim of a deplorably hypocritical press assault

I spent Bank Holiday Monday trying to find out everything I could about Jo Knowsley, for your benefit. I didn’t find out very much. Certain questions, crucial to the public interest, remain unanswered — so I will have to speculate about them instead, a little later on in this article.

Jo was one of the plethora of journalists charged, last weekend, with investing weight and significance to the semi-literate diary scribblings of a certain Tracey Temple, the woman who frequently had sexual intercourse with John Prescott. Tracey told her story to the national newspapers, via the deeply moral conduit of Max Clifford, on a point of principle: it was only right that she should arrest the impression which had been painted of her in the press. That of a bit of a slapper. Was this not a perfect example of what Max Clifford always insists is a case of the weak (Ms Temple) versus the powerful (the Deputy Prime Minister)? Predatory Prescott prowling the Palace of Westminster, irresistible to all women whom he chanced upon, and poor, lowly Tracey suddenly, inexplicably, unaccountably finding her knickers around her ankles.

So there was a point of principle, then — and also vast, humungous loads of dosh to be trousered. I wonder which was the clincher? I heard a figure of £250,000 mentioned, but that surely cannot be true. I think I would sleep with John Prescott for a quarter of a million quid.

I don’t share with the likes of John Lloyd and Steve Richards a general disaffection with the British press; I don’t think that, on the whole, politicians are ill treated by journalists — in fact, I worry that the Westminster cabal of political hacks is sometimes all too understanding of and compliant with political chicanery, wilful obfuscation and incompetence.

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