Prescott to lose his job this morning?

[Cadiz Seagull]

Following the Council elections there's going to be a Cabinet reshuffle today and John Prescott has just gone in to see Tony Blair. I don't think he'll lose his job as DPM because that would cause a potentially divisive election for his successor but he may well lose his Departmental responsibilities. How that will affect the Falmer decision God only knows. My guess is that it would be less likely to be reconfirmed if Prescott doesn't make it simply because the new minister won't have been personally involved in the original decision. Having said that if the new minister does confirm it (still the more likely scenario IMHO) then that would seem to make the chances of success of any Judicial Review even slimmer since two Ministers would have said yes. But if nothing else it must add a bit more delay.
No idea who the new minister could be if JP does go - maybe Ivor Caplin could make a comeback?!
Or maybe JP is just having a cup of coffee with TB who's telling him to keep up the good work and JP comes out all refreshed ready to blast those people who've disagreed with his decisions?
Oh, the joys of being an Albion supporter

 

[surrey jim]

he's gone round to see Cherie, Tony is out for a while

 

[Gwylan]

he's gone round to see Cherie, Tony is out for a while

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Let's hope David Miliband takes over responsibility for planning.

 

[Screaming J]

It may be that no-one takes his place.

The Department of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created solely to give John Prescott a department to run and was an artifical mis-mash of bits of Dept of Environment and others.

It may be that as well as him losing his Department, the Department itself will be reorganised and absorbed back into others. It hasn't exactly been a great success and if you deal with Whitehall you'll know that it comes pretty low down the pecking order, (although not as low as the Min of Ag and Fish or whatever its called these days).

Having said that I think it would be extremely odd if whichever Minister gets responsibility in whichever Department for re-doing Falmer they reverse the decsion. It was based on the Government's regeneration policies for deprived communities ,arguing that that outweioghed all the nimby crap; and I can't see that changing whover gets it in their red box.

Oh; and I thought Ivor wasn't an MP any more?

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I think it would be extremely odd if whichever Minister gets responsibility in whichever Department for re-doing Falmer they reverse the decsion. It was based on the Government's regeneration policies for deprived communities ,arguing that that outweioghed all the nimby crap; and I can't see that changing whover gets it in their red box.

Oh; and I thought Ivor wasn't an MP any more?

You may well be right J, I still think the decision will be reconfirmed. But nothing is ever straightforward for us and this is yet another twist if he does lose his planning responsibility.
And no, Ivor Caplin isn't an MP any more.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

Let's hope David Miliband takes over responsibility for planning.

Or Jack Straw.

Albion fanzine legend.

 

[Scoffers]

I suppose any change of Deputy PM would delay things though, if not reverse the decision.

There is always that worry though that a new Deputy PM could be a nimbyfied tosspot,

Oh happy days

 

[Gwylan]

I suppose any change of Deputy PM would delay things though, if not reverse the decision.

There is always that worry though that a new Deputy PM could be a nimbyfied tosspot,

Oh happy days

As Cadiz pointed out in his initial post, there can't be a change of Deputy - that's a position that's elected by the Labour Party.

What could happen is that Prezza could have his planning portfolio taken away from him, but as others have pointed out, that wouldn't necessarily change the decision on Falmer.

 

[Lord Bracknell]

My guess is that Prescott will remain as Deputy Prime Minister - that job goes to the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party and Blair has no constitutional power to appoint his Deputy.

Prescott will stay on as Deputy Party Leader (and Deputy PM) until Blair resigns. He will no doubt be given a government position of some sort. Lord Privy Seal? Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster?

Whatever they are.

 

[Stinky Kat]

ODPM was hived off from the department for tramsport and the regions as they thought planning etc did not sit well with transport. They called it ODPM because the deputy PM needs some responsibility because basically all he is is a temp for when Tony Thatcher is sunning himself at Belesconi's Tuscan villa

 

[Scoffers]

As Cadiz pointed out in his initial post, there can't be a change of Deputy - that's a position that's elected by the Labour Party.

What could happen is that Prezza could have his planning portfolio taken away from him, but as others have pointed out, that wouldn't necessarily change the decision on Falmer.

That misses the central point of my argument.

How do we know that planning will stay with Prescott, we don't
How do we know that any change wont delay the decisions, we don't

All this WILL spread more uncertainty and it's depressing

I need some caffeine

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

Lord Privy Seal? Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster?

Whatever they are.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Won't delay the decision in the slightest. JP (or anyone that replaces him) won't have anything to do with the decision or process until he has to sign something off, and then he'll be fully briefed.

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

John Prescott will remain as Deputy Prime Minister and Labour Party deputy
leader, Downing Street said today.
mf


051040 MAY 06

 

[The Clown of Pevensey Bay]

Mr Prescott will no longer have his own department, No 10 said.
mf

 

[Man of Harveys]

Lord Privy Seal

Who was the politician who, upon meeting the Lord Privy Seal, said he was disappointed that he was neither a lord, a privy or a seal?

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

Yup, he's got the bullet - Prescott that is, not the other feller.
Still DPM but lost his department.
Free beer in the Swan at Falmer tonight - but I still think we'll be OK in the end.
Keep the faith!

 

[The Large One]

From the BBC

John Prescott remains as deputy prime minister and in his elected role as deputy leader of the Labour Party but is losing his porfolio - the 'super ministry' known as the ODPM. It covered housing, local government, regeneration, planning and urban and regional issues. It is widely speculated its duties will be split up.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

he's gone round to see Cherie, Tony is out for a while

, well done Jim.