French anger at 'macho' Prescott
By Andy McSmith, Chief Political Correspondent

JOHN PRESCOTT refused to apologise last night after Dominique Voynet, France's environment minister, accused him of behaving like an "inveterate macho".

Mme Voynet hit back after the Deputy Prime Minister's blamed her for the collapse of the environment summit in the The Hague. With the backing of Downing Street, Mr Prescott sought to make a joke out of her rebuke, despite concern that the row could damage relations with France before next month's European summit in Nice.

 "Macho man - moi?" he said in the Commons. "I must say that remark leaves me most gutted." Mr Prescott had stormed out of the summit in the early hours of Saturday, complaining that Mme Voynet had scuppered a deal on climate control because she had "cold feet" and was "tired and exhausted".

 She retaliated yesterday by describing Mr Prescott's reaction as "really pathetic". His comments, she said, were "unacceptable, both in form and content. . . mediocre and shabby."

 Later she told a news conference: "He does no service either to his image or mine; nor does he do any service to the cause of the EU." Mme Voynet added with heavy irony: "Of course a woman is tired, is frightened and doesn't understand things."

 By his own standards, Mr Prescott was in emollient mood when he faced the Commons. He praised Mme Voynet's "passionate" commitment to reaching international agreement on climate change, saying that they would continue to work together until a deal had been struck.

 He added: "I did not say the lady was tired. She constantly said it herself. She was too tired to take in all the complexities. I quoted her words." John Redwood, the former Tory leadership contender, suggested that an apology might help the search for an international agreement.

 Mr Prescott replied: "Since you have a reputation in this House for apologising for nothing and for being highly personal in most of your comments, that is a bit of a cheek."

 Archie Norman, the Tory environment spokesman, suggested that Mr Prescott's "petulance" in The Hague was "the final collapse of the credibility of a failed Deputy Prime Minister".

 He asked: "Doesn't this breakdown of personal relationships suggest that, in trying to salvage his own reputation, he has not only burnt his own bridges but set back the prospects for a future settlement?" Mr Norman also contrasted the close interest that President Chirac had taken in the talks and Tony Blair's "profound disdain for all matters environmental".

 M Chirac said that Mme Voynet's handling of the talks had been "perfect". Serge Lepeltier, an environment spokesman for the opposition Gaullist Party, said: "The whole French delegation across party lines supported and continues to support Mme Voynet's stand. She fought to the end.

 "What is really unpleasant is that Prescott insulted her personally, which is unacceptable. It is not the behaviour of a gentleman." Downing Steet said: "The Prime Minister completely supports John Prescott's approach." 

A spokesman for Lady Jay, the women's minister, dismissed allegations that Mr Prescott had been sexist and said that he had acted "perfectly appropriately".

 Mr Prescott regards the climate change agreement reached by 40 states at a summit in Kyoto, Japan, in 1997 as the greatest international success of his years as Secretary of State for the Environment. He is keen to cap it with a more detailed agreement involving four times as many nations.

 He held out hopes of an international ageement by next May which, by coincidence, is likely to be when the general election is held and Mr Prescott's stewardship of the Environment Department ends.

 Mr Prescott told MPs that despite "real disappointment" in The Hague, negotiations had come "very close" to an agreement.The summit had not been a waste of time because it had publicised the need for worldwide action on greenhouse gases.

 He added: "I want to emphasise that the climate change conference did not end formally on Saturday. It will be reconvened in May. I still hope we can secure sufficient agreement in May to secure ratification by the EU and by others by 2002."

 Mr Prescott also denied storming out. He said: "I left after other ministers had left and the president had made clear there would be no further negotiations." He added: "I hadn't been home for three weekends, so I admit to the weakness of wanting to go home on that night."