Britain's Deputy PM Dismisses Calls To Step Down
Shaveta Bansal - All Headline News Staff Writer London, UK (AHN) - Britain's Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, on Wednesday vowed to stay, despite the growing political pressure stemming from his interaction with an American billionaire who hopes to open a casino in London. He rejected any suggestions over his acquittal from Prime Minister Tony Blair's cabinet. "I am deputy prime minister and I am expecting to get a Christmas card from Tony Blair as such," says Prescott in a BBC report. He denies the rumors that he could quit Blair's Cabinet while remaining deputy leader of the Labor Party as "a load of crap", the BBC Newsnight report said. Prescott acknowledged that he had stayed at a ranch owned by US oil and entertainment mogul Philip Anschutz, who according to reports wants to turn London's Millennium Dome into a casino. However, he denied any discussions of the Dome during any of their seven meetings. Parliament's Standards Commissioner said he was launching a preliminary inquiry into the affair. The Deputy Prime Minister is already entangled in allegations of sleaze and mismanagement in Blair's government. Prescott also became a source of embarrassment for the Prime Minister when his affair with his secretary became public. Blair's spokesman said Prescott retained the prime minister's "full confidence." The opposition Conservative Party has called on the government to make a |
