Taxing times

This way for the hand-cuffs Mr Prescott and no punching please.

It would appear that Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, above, has had to apologise about unpaid Council tax on his official apartment in Admiralty Arch, Westminster. Apparently, the tax had gone unpaid for somewhere in the region of seven years. Since the non-payment had been brought to light, £3,800 had been paid "in error" from the public purse, when the bill should have been footed by Prescott personally. The money has since been re-paid. A further sum of around £6,000 remains outstanding.

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It is particularly embarrassing as John Prescott heads the Government department responsible for overseeing Council tax nationally.

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The phrase "people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" springs to mind. Also, as a pensioner was recently jailed for refusing to pay only part of his Council Tax, one wonders if Prescott should be acquainting himself with the taste of porridge, just in case!

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