Still at it...

Since the departure of John Prescott from public life, we have been deproved of one of the great grotesques of our time. So it's nice to see that he's still bobbing about the place.

Spied enjoying himself at a Ditchley Park weekend think-thingy on Anglo-Sino relations was John Prescott. Not quite croquet in Dorneywood, though I'm assured the Oxfordshire pile isn't too good for the workers. Old rogue Prezza, when deputy premier, was appointed by Tony Blair to keep an eye on Beijing, and the Chinese revere former leaders.

But he wasn't alone...

My informant was somewhat surprised to spot the bike minister, Rosie Winterton (below left), presumably invited because the Chinese like to cycle.

Whoever would have thought it...

End of the road

As part of the Government's outreach program for the intellectually subnormal, John Prescott stood in, presumably for the last time, at PMQs today. William Hague represented the Tories, making the contest about as fair as a boxing match between Lennox Lewis and Woody Allen. It's a source of conjecture whether Presoctt's verbal incompetence masks a shrewd political mind, or is emrely a fair representation of his inner moron. The following exchanges (albeit tidied up by the BBC) may go some way towards clarifying this.

• Mr Hague said Mr Prescott would be "missed" by the Tories and "wished him well in his retirement" after 37 yeas in the Commons. He asked if the government would apologise for mistakes made over the computer system for junior doctors' jobs.

• Mr Prescott hailed Labour's record on employment and help for pensioners, compared with the previous Tory government, adding "can I say I am the longest serving deputy prime minister" and had seen off five Tory counterparts.

• Mr Hague said his question had been about junior doctors. He asked who was responsible in government for the "fiasco" of the online recruitment system.

• After a pause, Mr Prescott said: "Tories". He said Labour had to increase the number of medical students when they came in.

The man's a fool. At Ruskin his tutor said he had a burning desire for knowledge reminiscent of Jude the Obscure. I wonder when this turned into playground bullying and indifferent ignorance.