Sir Tony Blair has said he is “devastated” by the news of former deputy prime minister John Prescott’s death.
The ex-prime minister described his former deputy as “one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics” who could “talk in the bluntest and sometimes bluest language.”
Lord Prescott died aged 86 following a battle with Alzheimer’s, according to a statement from his family. The statement added that the former trade union activist and ex-merchant seaman died “peacefully” and surrounded by relatives.
After a period as a trade unionist and ship steward, John Prescott became the Labour MP for Hull East in 1970. An opposition spokesman throughout the Neil Kinnock years, Prescott was elected as Labour deputy leader in 1994.
Following the death of then Labour Leader John Smith, Prescott stood for the Labour leadership himself, but lost convincingly to Blair.
After the Labour landslide of 1997, Prescott was appointed deputy prime minister, and was also given responsibility for the newly created department of the environment, transport and the regions.
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In a statement, Sir Tony said: “He was from proud traditional working-class stock yet understood instinctively and completely the aspirations of that class and their desire to better themselves.
“It is no exaggeration to say the Labour Party could never have won three consecutive full terms without John.”
He added: “Underneath what could be a fierce exterior, and a manner some undoubtedly found intimidating, beat a loving, kind and compassionate human heart.
“John was as good a friend as you could ever hope to have, with a deep sensitivity, even vulnerability. He will deservedly occupy a special place in the pantheon of the Labour leadership; he will be mourned by his many friends and fans around the world and for me personally, today is a day of profound sadness but also immense pride in having known him and worked with him: a great man, and great servant of country and Party.”
While campaigning in Rhyl, North Wales, during the 2001 general election, Prescott had eggs thrown at him before he responded with two punches. The scene soon became a source of humour and Prescott, previously known as ‘two Jags’ for his possession of two Jaguar cars, was now christened ‘two jabs’ for his part in the incident.
Recalling this moment in an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Thursday morning, Sir Tony said he answered “well, John is John” at a subsequent press conference.
The former PM said: “Someone smashed an egg on his head, and he turned up, he turned around, and he punched the guy and laid him out.
“This caused a huge sort of fracas, obviously… We had to give a press conference in the election campaign the next day, and some people were saying, well, look, he’s deputy prime minister – you know, you can’t have a deputy prime minister thumping a voter.
“And then there were other people who said, yeah, but you know… he had this egg slammed in his head, and he turned around and whacked the guy, and a lot of people think, well, fair enough.”
A long debate ensued, Sir Tony said, adding: “Finally, at the press conference, when I was asked about that, I just said, well, John, is John. And so was that supposed to be an answer? I said, ‘Yeah, that’s an answer, that’s as much as you can say.’”
Keir Starmer has called Lord Prescott a “true giant of the Labour movement” and one of the “key architects” of the last Labour government.
In a statement, the prime minister said he was “deeply saddened” by the news of Lord Prescott’s death, sending his condolences on behalf of the Labour Party to the former deputy PM’s wife, Pauline, and to “his family, to the city of Hull, and to all those who knew and loved him.”
The statement reads: “I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of John Prescott.
“John was a true giant of the Labour movement. He was a staunch defender of working people and a proud trade unionist. During a decade as deputy prime minister, he was one of the key architects of a Labour government that transformed the lives of millions of people across the nation.”
Former US vice president Al Gore, who worked with Lord Prescott on the Kyoto Protocol climate change agreement in 1997, has also paid tribute to the former deputy PM.
Gore said he had “never worked with anyone in politics — on my side of the pond or his — quite like John Prescott”.
He said in a statement: “He possessed an inherent ability to connect with people about the issues that mattered to them — a talent that others spend years studying and cultivating, but that was second nature to him.
“He fought like hell to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol and was an unwavering champion of climate action for decades to come. I’m forever grateful to John for that commitment to solving the climate crisis and will miss him as a dear friend.”
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said: “I am deeply saddened by the news of John Prescott passing away and my thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.
“John Prescott will be remembered as a towering figure in British politics and his unwavering tenacity on the causes he championed should be a lesson to us all.
“His influence on our modern society will still be felt for years to come and his legacy remembered far into the future.”
Prescott was appointed to the House of Lords in 2010 as a Labour Peer, having retired from the commons in the election of that year.
On receiving the appointment, Lord Prescott said: “I welcome the opportunity to continue to campaign in Parliament for jobs, social justice and the environment as well as to hold this Con-Lib government to account”.
In 2015, it was announced that Prescott would return to frontline politics as an unpaid adviser to Ed Miliband. Prescott was also open in his support for Jeremy Corbyn at the 2017 general election. However, Lord Prescott was stopped from campaigning for Corbyn at the 2019 election because of a stroke. This was the first election Prescott hadn’t been involved in since 1960.
The son of a railway signalman, Prescott left school at 15 to begin work as a Trainee Chef. From 1955 to 1963 he worked as a Cunard ship’s steward in the Merchant Navy, leaving to attend Hull University to read Economics and Politics. He also studied at Ruskin College, Oxford.
As a waiter in 1957, Prescott served the former Conservative prime minister, Anthony Eden, only nine days after his resignation. “What were your first words to Sir Anthony when you met him?”, Prescott was later asked. “Good morning, sir”, he replied, “I was the waiter!”.
In an interview with the BBC in 2007, Prescott recalled how Eden came across as “an old-fashioned Tory gent”.
But Prescott added: “He was top class. I was bottom class – on a ship you certainly feel that.”
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Bluesky here.
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