Prescott’s household shared the information early on Thursday morning, saying that the previous Labour politician died “peacefully” at his care dwelling surrounded by family members. Forsaking a spouse and two youngsters, his household revealed that he had been affected by Alzheimer’s illness.
Former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who Prescott sat beneath as Deputy for a decade, has led tributes, saying he was “devastated” by information of his demise. “It’s no exaggeration to say the Labour occasion might by no means have gained three consecutive full phrases with out John,” Mr Blair stated, calling Prescott – who turned a Lord in 2010 – “one of the crucial proficient folks I ever encountered in politics”.
Prescott, who was an MP for Kingston upon Hull East for 40 years, suffered from quite a lot of well being situations all through his life: in 1990, he was recognized with diabetes; in 2007 he had a bout of pneumonia; he suffered from bulimia for over 20 years, and in 2019, he had a stroke.
As tributes to the Labour determine pour in, let’s check out the ups and downs of Prescott’s lengthy profession.
1970: Prescott is elected as an MP for Hull East
Born in Wales to working-class dad and mom, Prescott labored as a chef after which a ship steward on passenger liners earlier than attaining a diploma in economics and politics within the 60s.
Throughout his time within the Service provider Navy, he labored on a New Zealand-bound cruise in 1957, the place former Conservative Prime Minister Anthony Eden was among the many visitors. Calling Eden a “actual gentleman”, Prescott served the prime minister all through the journey. Whereas on board the Cunard liner, Prescott gained an on-board boxing event (a pastime he picked up at school which might show helpful afterward in his profession).
Earlier than being elected as an MP in 1970, he was an energetic determine within the service provider sailor strikes and have become an official for the Nationwide Union of Seamen.
Upon changing into a frontbench spokesperson for the Labour Celebration within the late 70s, he rapidly turned a outstanding voice within the occasion, particularly when it got here to move. Throughout his early political profession, Prescott ran for deputy management of the nation twice – however misplaced to Roy Hattersley in 1988 and and Margaret Beckett in 1992.
1983: Swimming within the River Thames
Prescott was in opposition to Margaret Thatcher’s coverage of dumping nuclear waste at sea, pictured right here holding a letter of opposition for the then-Prime Minister exterior of 10 Downing Avenue
Some of the notable moments from his early profession got here in 1983, when then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was dealing with backlash for a coverage that allowed nuclear waste to be dumped into the ocean. Unions and Greenpeace turned to Prescott, who, to publicly oppose the coverage, swam for two miles down the River Thames. “It made an amazing sequence of pictures,” he later wrote in his autobiography. “However after all, I had a really critical objective.”
Early highs as deputy Prime Minister
By the point Tony Blair turned chief of the Labour Celebration following the demise of John Smith in 1994, an outspoken Prescott was first-pick to turn out to be his deputy chief, later changing into the deputy prime minister when Blair gained the 1997 basic election in a landslide victory.
Together with his toes firmly planted in his working-class roots, Prescott turned a necessary hyperlink between Previous Labour voters and the federal government’s New Labour stance. One among his most pivotal moments early on was his heavy involvement within the Kyoto Protocol, a landmark worldwide settlement shaped in 1997 that known as to scale back carbon dioxide emissions to five.2 per cent to fight local weather change.
Prescott labored tirelessly in negotiations alongside figures like then-US Vice President Al Gore, who stated: “I’ve by no means labored with anybody in politics- on my aspect of the pond or his – fairly like John Prescott.” In 2018, Prescott advised The Guardian that he thought-about the settlement the best achievement in his profession.
In addition to the Kyoto Settlement, the politician considerably contributed to empowering native communities, driving the creation of regional growth councils thus permitting native governments to turn out to be extra self-sufficient economically. He was additionally a staunch advocate for reworking the UK’s transport system, strongly opposing the privatisation of the UK’s transport companies and even brazenly disagreeing with the occasion’s stance on rail regulation.
1998: Getting soaked on the BRIT Awards
On the evening of the 1998 Brit Awards, Prescott unexpectedly made headlines over the likes of performers the Spice Ladies, Fleetwood Mac and All Saints after Chumbawamba vocalist Danbert Nobacon dumped a bucket of ice over his head.
Why? Nobacon pulled the stunt in solidarity with dock employees in Liverpool who had been concerned in a years-long industrial dispute. Many had been indignant with the federal government – significantly Prescott, who has lengthy been a supporter of unions – for not aiding the tip of the dispute or reversing anti-trade union laws introduced ahead by the earlier Conservative authorities. Talking with NME earlier this 12 months, the band’s frontman Dunstan Bruce stated the explanation why the stunt was pulled was as a result of Prescott “might have resolved that dispute and he refused to, regardless that it was a union he was part of”. In an announcement following the incident, Prescott’s workplace known as the stunt “totally contemptible”.
2001: Synonymous with eggs and Jags
John Prescott being hit by an egg whereas surrounded by protesters within the seaside resort of Rhyl (David Kendall/PA)
PA Archive
At a 2001 basic election marketing campaign rally in Rhyl, Wales, a protestor – opposing Labour’s assist of a fox-hunting ban – threw an egg in Prescott’s face. Prescott’s boxing expertise got here in helpful when he retailed by famously punching Craig Evans repeatedly (calling it an act of self-defence) which was caught on digicam. Though some thought this is able to be damaging to Prescott’s public picture, opinion polls by the likes of Sky Information discovered that the general public – particularly the working-class public – supported Prescott’s response.
Beforehand incomes the nickname ‘Two Jags’ by the press for his love of Jaguar vehicles, the press rapidly nicknamed Prescott ‘Two Jabs’ after the incident. In July of that 12 months, he was given the honorific title of First Secretary of State by Tony Blair.
2006: A peacemaker finds himself on the coronary heart of controversy
Then-PM Tony Blair and spouse Cherie be part of then-deputy PM John Prescott and spouse Pauline on stage (Andrew Parsons/PA)
PA Archive
Throughout the latter a part of his time as Deputy Prime Minister within the 2000s, Prescott was credited with being a helpful mediator amid the turbulent relationship between PM Blair and then-Chancellor Gordon Brown, which was largely all the way down to Brown’s frustration in direction of Blair for not relinquishing energy.
However this era, particularly 2006, was not a good time to be John Prescott. In April, the Mail on Sunday reported that he had engaged in a two-year-long affair between 2002 and 2004 along with his diary secretary, Tracey Temple, who was 24 years his junior. Talking with the newspaper, who paid her £250,000 for her story, Temple stated the pair had intercourse in Prescott’s Whitehall workplace throughout conferences and in a resort room whereas his spouse Pauline was downstairs.
Prescott admitted to the affair, telling the Mirror on the time that his spouse was “devasted”. Whereas the couple labored via the scandal, it had large implications for his political profession. At that 12 months’s Labour Celebration convention, he introduced that he was stepping down from his deputy place amid the uproar.
“I do know that within the final 12 months, I let myself down, I allow you to down. So convention, I simply need to express regret,” he stated.
In a cupboard reshuffle that Could, Prescott misplaced his departmental duties as a result of affair and the occasion’s current poor efficiency in native elections.
They are saying that dangerous issues occur in threes, which was the case for Prescott when he gave up Doneywood, the 18th-century grace-and-favour nation dwelling he lived in. It got here as he was pictured enjoying croquet on the property’s garden whereas Blair was on a go to to Washington, which resulted within the press mocking him due to the sport’s excessive society associations, a far cry from Prescott’s humble beginnings.
2008 – 2010: Revelation of consuming dysfunction and life peerage
After Blair introduced that he was resigning in Could 2007, Prescott rapidly adopted go well with, occurring to face down as an MP on the subsequent basic election.
Prescott’s autobiography, Prezza: My Story: Pulling No Punches, was launched a 12 months later, and in it got here a stunning revelation concerning the previous deputy PM’s well being. Within the ebook, Prescott revealed that he had suffered from bulimia nervosa for nearly 20 years, which he believed was introduced on by the stress of life in politics. “Individuals usually affiliate it with younger girls – anorexic women, fashions attempting to maintain their weight down, or girls in demanding conditions, like Princess Diana,” he wrote. He gained reward for talking of his situation publicly, particularly for elevating consciousness that males additionally undergo from the situation.
Then, in 2010, Prescott was awarded a life peerage (regardless of beforehand saying he wouldn’t settle for one). Defending his acceptance of the title, he stated on the time that it might enable him to affect environmental coverage.
2012: Failed political revival and sick well being
Prescott pictured with spouse Pauline throughout a birthday celebration in his later years
Prescott Household/PA Wire
Prescott dabbled in politics all through the 2010s. In 2012, he stood because the Labour candidate to turn out to be Humberside Police’s first Police and Crime Commissioner, nevertheless, he misplaced out to Conservative competitor Matthew Grove. Then three years later, he labored as an advisor to Ed Milliband in the course of the former opposition chief’s unsuccessful election marketing campaign.
Over a decade later, Prescott ceased to be a member of the Home of Lords in July 2024. Prescott had spoken solely as soon as within the chamber since struggling a stroke in 2019 and had not voted since February 2023. His departure was confirmed alongside different friends who ceased membership for comparable causes.
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