Mandelson? High Steward of Hull? Nobody consulted John Prescott

John Prescott (Getty Images)

News that Peter Mandelson is being offered a new role as High Steward of Hull, a post dating from Tudor times, came as a surprise to John Prescott when it was first announced the date before yesterday. The former Deputy Prime Minister was a Hull MP for 40 years, whose bumpy relations with Peter Mandelson were one of the ongoing dramas of the Blair years, during which Prescott resolutely refused to pronounce his rival’s name properly, always calling him ‘Mendelson’. He wrote what he says is a ‘private and confidential’ letter to the leader of Hull Council wanting to know what was going on.

But Prescott has left behind enemies as well as friend in Hull since quitting the Commons. One of the former leaked the letter’s existence to the Yorkshire Post, implying that it was a “don’t you know who I am?” type of letter, bursting with an angry sense of entitlement, which had those who read it “rolling about on the floor laughing”.

“This is bollocks,” someone close to Lord Prescott retorts. “There was no sense of entitlement, he was just wanting clarification.” Lord Prescott is not interested in adding ‘High Steward of Hull’ to his various titles.

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• Junius

  Mandelson? High Steward of Hull? Nobody consulted John Prescott…

  Nobody appears to have consulted the people of Hull, either. Don’t they get a say? Just because the title dates from Tudor times, does not mean the people have to accept the Tudor style of patronage, and put up with any old Tom, Dick or Peter being foisted on them. Don’t Hull councillors understand the principle of democracy? Which political party controls the council, anyway? Let me guess.

• jimmy smith

  how is this fella a senior reporter? All of his articles are utter tribe

• Spud Sox

  The Dark Satanic Master is Back in the headlines.
  Prezza scratches out.with his feline claws.

  Cannot see them getting married under the new rules!

• Chris Mastry

  The people of Hull should have a say, I myself wouldn’t vote for either of the tossers.

• jonseer

  He will be after ” Count of the Saxon Shore” next. ( Well I think it is Count).

• SpartacusMars

  He’s Count Cnut.

• SpartacusMars

  Oh goodness… you can imagine the make-up sex can’t you?

• Spud Sox

  Pratzzle tells his bond-mate “i have got the tablets to make me go”

  Lord Justin Trousersnake of Darkness-Upon-Hull says in reply , “Don’t worry Babe you will not need them”

  It was a marriage made in heathen. All started when one said to the other, “I used to be a bar-steward on a ship”, then the Satanic Dark Master said “Hello sailor”!