Prescott berada di puncak kedudukan politik saat Perdana Menteri Tony Blair keluar negeri untuk berlibur bersama keluarga, tapi pemerintah mengulangi pernyataan bahwa tanggapan Menteri Luar Negeri Margaret Beckett hari Sabtu-lah yang mencerminkan pandangan pemerintah atas kematian Saddam.
Prescott has been left at the political helm while Prime Minister Tony Blair is out of the country on a family holiday. But the government reiterated that it was Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett's comments made Saturday that represent the views of the government on Saddam's death.