Officially False

Today's Times reports that the planned visit to Malta by Britain's deputy Prime Minister John Prescott had to be postponed because of a last minute engine hitch in the private jet that was supposed to bring Prescott to Malta. J'accuse's gossip reporters have unearthed a hidden reason behind Prescott's last minute forfait. It would appear that the Deputy Dawg discovered the following information on the website of upstart Labour politician Aaron Farrugia:

ahh before I forget, John Prescott is visiting Malta this week. Who cares to meet this guy? If Blair, Gordon Brown or rising star David Miliband was coming instead, I would have tried to fix a short meeting. But please, not Prescott.

It would seem that Deputy JP was extremely disappointed that he would not be able to meet this rising Labour star and preferred not to visit than suffer the humiliation of being turned down at the last moment - stile Bush in Iraq.

J'accuse's stealth spies also report that both Gordon Brown's and David Miliband's entourages seem to be scrambling to be the first to meet our Maltese hero - hopefully at the Hamrun Band Club where there would be maximum press exposure.

We did not try to contact Prescott, Brown, Miliband or Farrugia so no confirmation could be had of the above information.