Rawhide Prescott - the adventure continues
Iain Dale's Diary notes a message from Newsnight:
"You'll be relieved to know we've secured a Bucking Bronco on College Green. We just thought we couldn't let you ponder the complexities of the Commissioner on Standards in Public Life's findings on John Prescott without one.
May have something to do with the official sleaze report - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/21_07_06_prescott.pdf and questions such as these:
Question 1—Did you receive any gifts from Mr Philip Anschutz during your stay in his ranch in July 2005?
Yes, I did receive gifts and I fully understood that they were gifts at the time. Indeed I was informed at the time I used them that they would be posted to my office in the UK.
Question 2—If so, what was their nature and the estimated cash value of each of them?
As I explained in my letter of 14 July, the nature of the gifts I received were designed to allow me to carry out a
working day on Mr Anschutz's ranch, and, as you know, in the usual way their value has been estimated at:
A Stetson hat—£97
A pair of calf length boots—£120
A belt and buckle—£207
A pair of spurs - £185
A leather bound notebook (not valued)
Question 3—Were they declared on your return to the UK to your then Permanent Secretary?
...In accordance with my department’s procedures, there was no correspondence between my Private Office and my Permanent Secretary about these gifts - though she did see at least some of the
Anschutz gifts when they were displayed in the office on their arrival.
I wonder if any of his other secretaries or Parliamentary colleagues also saw the boots and spurs...?
Keep movin', movin', movin'
Though they're disapprovin'
Keep them dogies movin'
Rawhide!
Don't try to understand 'em
Just rope, throw, and brand 'em
Soon we'll be living high and wide.
My hearts calculatin'
My true love will be waitin',
Be waitin' at the end of my ride.
Rawhide!
Rawhide!