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Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has died at the age of 86 after battling Alzheimer’s, his family announced.
The Labour veteran, who was a pivotal figure in Sir Tony Blair’s New Labour project, died peacefully in a care home surrounded by family.
During a parliamentary career spanning 50 years, Lord Prescott served as deputy prime minister for a decade following the party’s landslide victory in 1997.
While he was known for his fiery temperament, he played a crucial role in mediating the often fractious relationship between Sir Tony and then chancellor Gordon Brown.
The former MP for Kingston upon Hull East, a seat which he held for four decades, made headlines in 2001 when he punched a protester who had thrown an egg at him during an election campaign in North Wales.
But in his tribute to Lord Prescott, Sir Tony’s former spin doctor Alastair Campbell said the government “could not have had a better peacemaker”, adding: “Of course he was combative but he had an enormous heart and a great capacity for friendship.”
His attempts to push through the Kyoto climate change deal in the UK as a cabinet minister also earned him the nickname “two Jags” for his use of two Jaguar cars for short journeys while trying to encourage people to use vehicles less.
Born in Prestatyn, Wales, on 31 May 1938, Prescott rose from humble beginnings as the son of a railway worker to become one of the Labour Party’s most prominent figures.
Though a steadfast ally of Sir Tony during his tenure, Lord Prescott later criticised aspects of New Labour’s legacy, including the controversial decision to invade Iraq.
A former trade unionist and merchant seaman, the long-serving deputy prime minister was widely known for his commitment to social justice and environmental protection.
He was viewed by many as the man who carried the torch for the traditional labour movement within his party, at a time when it was being radically modernised by Sir Tony and Mr Brown.
Paying tribute to his former deputy, Sir Tony described him as “one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics”, saying he is devastated by the loss.
Former prime minister Gordon Brown said: “He was a colossus and and titan of the Labour movement.
“When you hear the term working class hero, John fitted that description.”
Listing his “great achievements”, Brown noted his work on the Kyoto Agreement, devolution and the repair and improvement of housing.
He went on: “At all times he was a unifying force. As deputy leader he realised the passion for unity in the Labour Party. He was important in holding the party together particularly over Iraq.
“Despite his image as a tough person who was uncompromising, John really wanted people to work together.”
He noted: “John always talked about enduring values in Labour politics, so his values never changed.”
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said Lord Prescott was a “true giant of the Labour movement” and one of the “key architects” of Labour’s last government.
Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson, who was a neighbouring MP in Hull, told the Today Programme: “While many people’s description of John was uncompromising, he spent most of his life finding compromise and making deals.”
There were also tributes from former opponents. Tory grandee and former deputy prime minister Michael Heseltine told Today: “It would be ridiculous to say we were close because that is not the way of politics [but] John and I got on very well. Once you got away from the political spotlight nd the need to show your followers you are on side we had a lot in common and the desire to better the lives of people.”
Former MP Harriet Harman, who succeeded Lord Prescott as deputy leader of the party, said he was a “huge figure in bringing Labour back into government”.
She described him as a “combative unifier who outsmarted those who underestimated him”, adding: “He reassured Labour traditionalists that there was a place for them in New Labour.”
Recalling the moment Lord Prescott punched a protester who threw an egg at him in 2001, Sir Tony told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he answered “well, John is John” at a subsequent press conference.
He said: “Someone smashed an egg on his head, and he turned up, and 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’.”
In a statement, Lord Prescott’s wife Pauline and sons Johnathan and David expressed their sorrow, calling his years serving the people of Hull his greatest honour.
He died “surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery”, they said.
“John spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment, doing so from his time as a waiter on the cruise liners to becoming Britain’s longest-serving deputy prime minister.”
Lord Prescott stepped down from the House of Lords in July this year due to ongoing health challenges.
Official records reveal he had spoken in the chamber only once since suffering a stroke in 2019 and had not participated in a vote since February 2023.
