Prescott's is Blair's legacy

John Prescott's political career appears to be in ruins after he was forced to give up his grace-and-favour home, Dorneywood.
Senior sources said the Deputy Prime Minister had made the "personal" decision because continued controversy over the residence was creating a distraction.
But the Tories claimed the move would not save Mr Prescott's job. Shadow chancellor George Osborne said: "His political career is finished, regardless of whether he stays in that job now for which he gets a salary.
"He's a complete irrelevance and I think people will remark that when this Government came to power nine years ago promising a new kind of politics, who would have thought it would end up like this? People like John Prescott, clinging on to their stately homes and the trappings of office.''
Deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats Vince Cable said: "This is clearly an effort to deal with the criticism that he was enjoying a large salary and perks with no clearly-defined departmental responsibilities.
"However, this doesn't solve the underlying problem that he has been half-sacked by the Tony Blair and has lost his credibility. He had an important role standing in for the Prime Minister and unfortunately now he can no longer be taken seriously.''
Mr Prescott, who turned 68 on Wednesday, has been under relentless pressure to quit since the revelation that he had an affair with diary secretary Tracey Temple.
There is growing anger among Labour MPs that he was allowed to hold on to his job title, £133,000-a-year salary and perks despite being stripped of his department.
Mr Prescott, who has vowed he would not be driven out of office, said in a statement: "I have accepted that my continued use of Dorneywood is getting in the way of doing my job in government.
"I have told the Prime Minister that it is my personal decision that I no longer want to be the official resident. He has accepted this decision."
Environment Secretary David Miliband insisted Mr Prescott still had a job to do.
"He has got a record in respect of housing, in respect of the environment, in respect of cities policy," he said.
"He's a big man, he has decided that the best thing for him to do is to give no possible suggestion that he has anything other than the interests of the country in his mind, that he is focus.