The battered cod in tomorrow's chip paper
Prescott in plain-speaking shocker
And now I must report a sad development in the housing world. John "Two Jabs" Prescott has signed up his department to the Plain English Campaign.

So the country's most innovative English speaker, who announced in a housing debate: "I could claim the same right and the same criteria to consider for such a right in the urban areas, and indeed I intend to do so," and condemned the "sceptre of unemployment" could actually start using his words in the right order.

And what a that tragedy be would.

Cowboys v the Deputy
A ray of light was shed this week on the motives behind the love affair between the deputy prime minister and prefabricated housing. Never one for keeping things to himself, Prescott has laid into the traditional housebuilding profession on a number of occasions over the last 12 months.

Surely no credence can be given to the rumour that this onslaught was a result of the treatment the DPM suffered at the hands of builders in Hull. Apparently even Prescott's legendary persuasive powers were unable to stop the bills from escalating.

New year, old image
Anyone fortunate enough to have received a New Year's card from deputy London mayor Nicky Gavron could be forgiven for experiencing a sense of déjà vu. The cartoon on the card appeared in this very column last September, at the time of the Labour conference in Blackpool. I am always glad to provide light relief, but one does wonder why the Labour nominee for next year's mayoral elections in the capital would choose to draw attention to the placing of campaign posters in the ladies toilets at the Winter Gardens …

Pulp friction
Life, it is said, can occasionally imitate art. But surely it is rare for the Regulatory Reform Select Committee to recall aspects of Quentin Tarantino's cinematic oeuvre.

Listening to Mr White (Brian White, MP for North-east Milton Keynes) interrogate Mr Green (policy adviser at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) this week was, government minister Tony McNulty observed, like something from Reservoir Dogs. Absolute suspension of disbelief was only prevented by the presence round the table of so many dodgy ties and beards.

New Year's revolutions
One final thought. Anyone out there looking for a change of direction in 2003 – perhaps for a job with a touch more responsibility – shouldn't rush into anything just yet. At least not until the Housing Corporation has advertised Baroness Dean's position in the summer.

l have one suggestion of someone who may just fit the bill without having to relinquish any of her present positions. Margaret Ford, anyone … ?

Ken: New amphibian link

It must be such a bind to be the mayor of London. Poor Ken Livingstone – having finally managed to move into his new headquarters on the bank of the Thames last year, he has had to suffer the ignominy of succumbing to the wet weather that swept much of the UK over the festive break. However, it wasn’t the Thames bursting its banks that got the mayoral tootsies wet, but the underfloor heating in City Hall when it broke last week. At least now Livingstone will know how other flooded new homeowners have felt in recent weeks.

Source

Housing Today