At the New Connaught Rooms, the employers were also furious at Prescott's stance. Standing on the steps outside, Charles Nolda told reporters: "It has been a rollercoaster of night. We are all dejected."
Both union and employer negotiators privately insisted that the reason Prescott had not been able to consider the deal was because he had been asleep throughout. This accusation - seized on by opposition MPs - infuriated his aides. "John was up all night. He is not a pretty sight," said one.