Tracey Temple

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Tracey Temple (born 10 October 1962) was the diary secretary of the Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, John Prescott.

1 The Prescott affair
2 Aftermath
3 See also
4 References

[edit] The Prescott affair

On 26 April 2006 Prescott admitted to a two year extra-marital affair between Temple and himself. On Saturday, 29 April 2006, Temple sold her story to the Mail on Sunday for over £250,000. In her interview she claimed that Mr Prescott "exploited power for his own sexual gratification"^[1]. She also hired Max Clifford, a publicist.

Temple appeared in a tearful video statement for the Mail on Sunday where she recounted, in extracts from an alleged diary, how her friendly relationship with the 'DPM' developed into a full-fledged affair at his office's Christmas party in 2002. The relationship was consummated on a number of occasions in many of the grace-and-favour residences associated with his post.

"We made love in John's office" she said, "we were very lucky we never got caught." "If I was wearing a skirt, he would slide his hand up my leg, under it. He used to stroke my back. She told the paper that on one occasion that Prescott "got frisky" in the Admiralty Boardroom - described as a government conference room. "I went in to take some notes and he touched my breasts and starting kissing me."^[2]

In April 2002 Prescott surprised many observers by inviting Tracey to escort his wife Pauline to Westminster Hall for the State Opening of Parliament and in October 2003 Prescott attended the national service of remembrance at St Paul's Cathedral with his mistress to honour those British troops who had been killed at that stage of the Iraq war. Temple claimed she and Prescott had sex after the service. She also claimed regular sexual encounters took place in his office with the door open while other civil servants worked outside. She also alleged that Prescott would often interrupt official business to engage in sexual banter.

[edit] Aftermath

A boyfriend of Temple's, Barrie Williams, a lorry driver, was furious with her and Prescott and vented his anger by also going public and revealing further details of the affair.^[3]

As a result of the publicity, Temple was put on gardening leave for two months. On her return to work, Temple was sidelined with a low-key post at the University of Westminster.^[4]

In January 2007, Temple was re-instated into her old department but not, however, reporting directly to the Deputy Prime Minister.^{[citation needed]}

A TV comedy Confessions of a Diary Secretary, based on the affair, was made by Daybreak Pictures and aired on ITV1 on 28 February 2007.^[5]