The power of images

Whatever you think about the political issues, John Prescott’s foray into croquet playing is a disaster in terms of his image as a politician. Formerly he was seen as “northern”, “working class” proletarian, uneducated (but not unintelligent). When attacked by an egg-thrower he responded with his fists rather than witty repartee.

Now the name John Prescott is associated with “grace and favour”, “country house” and, most incredibly, “croquet” (a game of elitist, effete social climbers). Newsnight yesterday lampooned this episode by linking it to the croquet game in Alice in Wonderland, implying John Prescott inhabits a topsy-turvey world where nothing makes sense anymore. This level of ridicule is destroying John Prescott’s credibility as we watch – it is unlikely that anything can save him now (unless the government has already accepted, as John Major did in the late 90s, that the next election is already lost and therefore it doesn’t matter what the people think).

It proves once again the power of images.