An Englishman's Castle

Prescott to face sleaze inquiry over ranch visit - Newspaper Edition - Times Online

...it became clear yesterday that the donation, which the department said was the equivalent of a hotel room, was worth just £40 per person per night. Mr Anschutz's ranch is on a 32,000-acre Rocky Mountain estate, which has a nine-hole golf course and health spa. Mr Prescott also admitted that the stay lasted two nights rather than one, and he was accompanied by two civil servants and a media adviser.

Mr Prescott insisted that at no point during the trip did he or his staff discuss business. "I spent [Sunday] travelling around the large cattle ranch, discussing with ranch staff the issues and problems of running a large-scale farming enterprise,..."

On the positive side at least he was a s mean with the taxpayer's money when it came to donations as he is with his own. But the idea of a fat old sea steward from Hull having anything relevant to say about "the issues and problems of running a large-scale farming enterprise" makes this story even more bizarre - I thought yesterday he only talked about Slavery when he was there.
Are we sure he wasn't just holed up in his cabin rutting with his staff - name the civil servants!