Well done Prezza - at last

THE sight of our comical Deputy Prime Minister strolling around airport check in areas talking to disgruntled passengers would have been an excellent opportunity for Fleet Street to take the Michael at John Prescott's expense.

But as he's in charge of the country, he felt he had to go as airports suffered delays and cancellations as a result of the exposure of the bomb plot. So unannounced, he made weekend visits to Stansted, Doncaster and Humberside airports.

Full marks to Prezza, a figure of fun in Fleet Street, for walking into these teeming dens of lions. At Stansted, he was fully briefed by the airport's managing director as well as staff and passengers waiting for flights.

Stansted was chosen because Heathrow was groaning under the weight of thousands of delayed passengers. His appearance could not have been kept a secret, would have turned into a media scrum, and staff would have had to cope with the fallour instead of trying their hardest to keep passengers up to date with the latest flight delays.

Details of the visit emerged at yesterday's Downing Street media briefing, and on the No 10 web site. You can read it for yourself on www.pm.gov.uk  - indeed why not get the daily briefings emailed daily to your desk top. It will help pass the time in these summer days of the silly season.

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