PRESCOT RUNS BRITAIN FROM APARTMENT IN ANDRATX

JOHN Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, spent a weeklong holiday in Puerto Andratx and effectively controlled Britain from his rented apartment. Prime Minister Tony Blair was also away on holiday, and Prescott had been left in charge for most of the month of August. It appears that he also decided to take a summer break. The Deputy PM, behaved like any other British tourist, visiting a number of local restaurants and generally relaxing. No additional security was provided for him in Majorca. According to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Prescott paid the full price of £600 for the apartment. The paper said that the booking was made in the normal manner and Prescott's private office was given a proper receipt. The Deputy PM and his wife arrived in Majorca at the end of August with no security and let themselves be seen in the port of Andratx and surrounding areas. During their brief visit to the island they were guests at a barbecue which was given by a British businessman who owns an apartment in the same complex where they were staying. They were also frequent customers of the Restaurante Vistamar in the popular fishing village of Sant Elm, which has panoramic views over the bay of Andratx. Restaurant sources said that the Prescotts always sat at the same table (Number 3) and that he was fond of dorada a la sal, gilt-head bream baked in salt. He was also seen to enjoy pa amb oli, another Majorcan speciality consisting of slices of country bread rubbed with garlic and tomato, dribbled with olive oil. The same sources said that the Prescotts were always very pleasant and very polite, although they could not be drawn as to the bottle of wine the Deputy PM favoured. The Prescotts flew back to Britain on September 3. Blair also arrived back at about that time and that weekend was heavily involved in the Cabinet reshuffle. Home Secretary David Blunkett is also a frequent visitor to the island staying in either Pollensa or Cala d'Or.