MONITOR: JOHN PRESCOTT

All the News of the World

Critiques of the Deputy Prime Minister

and his transport policies

The Sun

THINGS ARE only getting worse after 30 months of Prescott in charge. He can never overcome his reputation as the enemy of motorists. As for his railways policy, his rambling on Newsnight left us none the wiser. It's all very well for Blair to stand by him. But unless they want the country to grind to a halt, they must take action. Get Britain moving - by moving Prescott on.

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The Times

HAVING STEAMED forward with unpopular proposals [Mr Prescott] has come up against the Downing Street buffers of public opinion. This is a familiar pattern - he fails to win a debate and then is brought to a halt before he does any real harm to Labour's poll standing.

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Evening

Standard

MR PRESCOTT begins to remind me of Winston Smith after his release from the Ministry of Love. He is allowed to sit in the Victory Cafe, sipping gin and pretending to make important policy, but is a non-person. One day, as he walks to his Jag, a hand will fire a bullet - in this case demotion to a ministry where he can do less damage - into the back of his head. (Matthew Norman)