Gaming Industry Club

Prescott Given Cowboy Outfit as Gift

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott is placed in the spotlight again after a report came out that American tycoon Philip Anschutz, with which he is being negatively linked, has given him a handcrafted Wild West cowboy outfit as a gift.

According to the source of the report, Prescott's loot included a pair of tooled leather boots, a Stetson hat and a belt with the initials JP on the belt buckle.

An estimate by local craftsmen showed the set as costing anything up to 20,000 pounds sterling.

The gift is said to have been given to Prescott during his controversial stay at the Anschutz estate in Colorado during the summer of last year.

Prescott has been under heavy criticism following the disclosure of the said event, and the revelation that he had met with the casino tycoon in several other instances prior to that. Anschutz is bidding for the Millennium Dome in London to be Britain's first super casino.

Prescott has denied that there was anything improper about the stay. He also denied the allegations that he has been using his influence to put key offices in favor of the Millennium Dome bid.

A spokeswoman said that all gifts received by Prescott over the past year would be normally declared before the end of July.

"All gifts are registered in the usual way and the annual return will be published in a PQ (parliamentary question) in July as is normal practice for all ministers," she said.