Silly season signals cartoon time

Ben Davies BBC News Online political staff

As Tony Blair packs his trunks and prepares to head off with his family to Cliff Richard's Barbadian hideaway we can all look forward to a bit of silly season knockabout.

Scarcely before the prime minister has had time to cancel his milk and papers the Tories have published a cartoon laying into Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

Tories commissioned the cartoon

Mr Prescott - who is not known for pulling punches - recently arrived back from his summer break refreshed, invigorated and immediately launched an attack on those in Labour who would criticise the government.

They should be celebrating the fact that Mr Blair was now the longest serving Labour premier in history, he said.

The idea of celebration was obviously a provocation too far for Mr Prescott's Tory opposite number David Davis.

He has published a cartoon showing the deputy prime minister in the driving seat of a car without wheels.

Now this joke has, apparently, more than one level.

You can see it as a reference to Mr Prescott's penchant for Jaguars - or you can see it as a metaphor for running the country.

The wheels have come off this government and look who's now in the driving seat David Davis

Mr Davis - who was unceremoniously sacked as Tory chairman last summer while away on holiday - looks intent on staying home this year to do some damage to his rival.

While Mr Prescott goes up and down the country reminding grateful voters of all Labour has done for them, Mr Davis will be saying that the government has "lost its way".

"The wheels have come off this government and look who's now in the driving seat!" he said.

"Prescott loves power and will do everything he can to get his photograph in the paper whilst his boss is away.

Worse or better?

"Britain beware, this man will be coming to a photo-call near you during the next month.

"What this country needs is real leadership, not more spin and photo-calls from a government that has lost its way.

Mr Davis has fired the opening salvo of the summer

"Many will wonder if this will be Labour's summer of discontent. Will we see more strikes hitting our airports, another exams crisis, and even more taxes and even less pay with John Prescott in the hot seat?"

Mr Davis adds that things have "only got worse" in the six years since New Labour won power.

Well it was only a matter of time before adopting D:Ream's Things Can Only Get Better for the 1997 election campaign backfired on Labour.

"Tony Blair promised that he would 'govern sensibly' - but putting Prescott in charge at a time when this government is facing crisis after crisis is anything but sensible," said Mr Davis.

Wonder if the deputy prime minister will take that on the chin? It could be a moderately entertaining summer.