The Final Curtain

If today's news reports are to be believed the political career of Lord John Prescott is finally coming to an end - as the old sea dog (74) was defeated in his battle to become the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside in England.

See post dated 15 November 2012 - 'Some Hae Meat'.

Now I can't say that I'll shed too many tears - because I thought that John Prescott  reached his political 'sell-by' date long ago.

Not over his instinctive punch at an egg-wielding attacker during the 2001 general election campaign - no I think Labour's deputy leader was perfectly entitled to defend himself against a cowardly assault by a member of the public.

In fact John Prescott went up in my estimation after that - because he reacted the way any ordinary person would have done in similar circumstances.

But John Prescott should have been sacked - in my view - over his completely ridiculous affair with a civil servant - and junior member of his office staff.

At the highest levels of government - in organisations both large and small - there is simply no excuse for such behaviour.

Because it is completely unprofessional - powerful men using their positions to enter into clandestine relationships with junior women colleagues - is the exact opposite of leadership and is always the sign of a much deeper malaise.

So when it came to light - John Prescott should have had the good grace to resign and retire to the Labour backbenches, but he soldiered on for years until he finally met his political Waterloo yesterday. 

To add insult to injury 'Two Jags' Prescott was beaten by a Tory - which only goes to prove the wise old maxim that - 'all political careers end in failure'.