Former Deputy PM John Prescott dead at 86
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Following a battle with Alzheimer’s, former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott died on 20 November.
Born in Wales, son of a railway man and Labour councillor, he left school at 15 to work in the Merchant Navy before deciding to enter politics where he would leave his mark.
Prescott served as an MP for Kingston upon Hull East for 40 years while being a staunch trade union activist. A key part of Labour under Sir Tony Blair, he helped Labour to a landslide victory that saw them regain power after 18 years of Conservative rule.
He was Britain’s longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister and offered a much-needed working-class voice to the privately educated Government.
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His family has praised his life, saying that he spent it “trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment.”
Prescott served as the Secretary of State for the Environment where he helped to negotiate and spearhead the international climate change treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, which aimed to reduce greenhouse emissions.
Tributes have poured in from around the political world.
Tony Blair stated: “He was one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics.
“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 that the Labour Party could never have won three consecutive full terms without John.”
Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: “Few achieve something akin to heroic status in their own lifetime, but John Prescott became – and will remain – a legend of the Labour Party.”
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Prescott was loyal to Sir Tony Blair throughout his career; however, he became critical of the party's legacy, which included criticising Britain’s involvement in the Iraq War.
He was ennobled in 2010, but after facing health difficulties, he left the House of Lords in July of this year.
Prescott will be remembered as a giant in politics but was also infamous for punching a protestor who threw an egg at him during an election campaign, along with his nickname ‘Two Jags’, due to owning two Jaguar cars.
He is survived by his wife Pauline and his two sons.