Prescott says Blunkett will perform “active” role
Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott today voiced his belief that David Blunkett will continue as a high profile politician whether he returns to the Cabinet or not.
Mr Prescott told BBC One’s Breakfast with Frost that a swift return to Cabinet by the former Home Secretary would be dependent on the Prime Minister.
But either way, he argued, Mr Blunkett will be a “pretty active and robust politician whether he was on the backbenches or in Cabinet”.
Mr Prescott also played down suggestions that the fallout of the resignation would hinder the long-term prospects of the Labour Party.
He was responding to the findings of a new YouGov poll for the Sunday Times which claims Tony Blair has been damaged by David Blunkett’s resignation.
An overwhelming 68 per cent of the 1,981 voters questioned said the Prime Minister had been damaged by the ‘Nannygate’ affair.
But Mr Prescott said that he did not believe it would have any long-term effect on the party.
He did though admit that the saga marked an “unfortunate” incident for the Government and a “personal tragedy” for Mr Blunkett.
“We should never be complacent about these matters, you have to deal with them in the proper way and in the case of David there is an inquiry forthcoming out that may affect some of the judgments in the future, I don’t know, we must wait for the facts”, Mr Prescott said.
“But I don’t think it will affect us with regards to the confidence of the Government in delivering on its policies.”
But former Opposition Leader William Hague said he believed the saga would have a lasting effect on the fortunes of the Labour Party.
The affair, he argued, revealed how the Government had become complacent about being in office.
“That is very, very dangerous for a government when that happens,” he warned.
Mr Hague added: “You do get the sense – and I regret saying this because I like David Blunkett – you get the sense that there was somebody here was just taking it for granted being in office for a bit too long.”
“People can get used to being in office, a bit too used to being in office.”
Mr Hague said the electorate had thought that about the last Conservative government and that they could now see similar complacency emerging from the Blunkett affair.
The YouGov survey found that former Home Secretary’s exit has not hit Labour’s overall poll rating and a quarter of voters believe Mr Blunkett should return to the Cabinet if Labour wins the next General Election.
The poll also showed that there is widespread support for Mr Blunkett’s personal situation, with 63 per cent saying his ex-lover, married publisher Kimberly Quinn, had acted vindictively.
Mrs Quinn, 44, returned home from hospital yesterday after suffering complications with her pregnancy. Mr Blunkett is currently embroiled in a custody battle over access to Mrs Quinn’s two-year-old son, whom Mr Blunkett insists he has fathered
