Tributes Paid to Lord John Prescott, Former Deputy Prime Minister

Following the death of former Deputy Prime Minister Lord John Prescott at the age of 86, commendations have been expressed. The long-serving Labour politician was initially elected as the Member of Parliament for Hull East in 1970, a position he maintained for nearly four decades. Tim Iredale, the BBC’s political editor for Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, characterized Prescott as a “man of the people.” Karl Turner, the Labour MP for East Hull, affirmed that Prescott’s impact on public life would endure. Turner further stated: “Having known John for all of my life, I know first-hand the impact that he had on many thousands of people across the city and the country.” He informed BBC Radio Humberside that his family and Prescott’s family frequently took holidays together during his youth. Recalling a visit to Alton Towers, Turner remarked: “John was desperate to get on the log flume and make sure all of us got soaking wet through.” Nevertheless, he noted that despite being “a giant of a politician,” Prescott was a “gentle giant” in his personal interactions. “He was very kind – incredibly generous and he went out of his way to make people feel important.” Iredale commented that even following the well-known incident in 2001 when Prescott punched a man who had thrown an egg at him during a campaign event in North Wales, the public perceived it as a natural human response. Iredale stated: “I always thought he was indestructible – one of those people you thought would just go on forever.” He continued: “For most of the years I’ve been covering politics he was always there in the background – this big beast – the biggest of big beasts.” Iredale also observed: “If he were to write his own legacy, he was talking about climate change long before mainstream politicians.” He was additionally “part of the movement that changed the Labour party.” Iredale concluded: “Along with Tony Blair, who was the face and the polish of the new Labour movement, John Prescott was the authentic Labour voice.” Iredale further mentioned that Prescott consistently remained accessible, even if individuals did not agree with his statements. The media bestowed the moniker “two Jags” upon Prescott following revelations that he possessed two official Jaguar vehicles, one of which he was frequently observed operating in Hull. According to Iredale, Prescott had also made it a point to bring any visiting dignitaries to his preferred Chinese restaurant, Mr Chu’s. A newspaper report indicates that Prescott once caused a diplomatic incident by remarking that an extravagant state dinner served in China “wasn’t as good” as the food at Mr Chu’s. Melanie Onn, the MP for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, stated that Prescott had assisted her campaign in 2017. She posted on X, writing: “After, he entertained locals at The Trawl downing a pint in one, spilling most down his shirt then having to dry off in the gents. “Sharp as a tack, oft underestimated. We’ll miss him.” Prescott was a supporter of the rugby league team Hull Kingston Rovers and served on its board from 2006 to 2010. He maintained a friendship with Paul Sewell, who is the club chairman and founder of the Sewell Group. Mr. Sewell commented: “He was so credible because he’d not come straight from university into politics, he’d had a proper job.” He mentioned that Prescott had appeared alongside figures such as Bill Clinton and Al Gore, in addition to “being mates with Nelson Mandela.” “This guy was John while he was in Hull, but when he was in Westminster he was a world figure, and we just have to reconcile that,” Mr. Sewell stated. Mr. Sewell noted that Prescott had made substantial contributions to the city of Hull, including securing investment for the Preston Road community regeneration scheme. “He turned up at one of the design meetings with the architect Richard Rogers, who had worked on the Millennium Dome and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and said ‘I’ve brought the most famous architect I know’.” Mr. Sewell recounted: “I replied ‘John, he is the most famous architect anyone knows’.” He concluded that while “Politicians get a bad rap, but most come into public life to make a difference, and John Prescott did that big style.” Neil Hudgell, the club’s owner, added: “We will miss his fantastic humour and stories of his run-ins with various world leaders that entertained us all so much in the boardroom on gameday.” He extended: “Our thoughts are with his wife Pauline, two boys Jonathan and David and all his family and friends.” Councillor Daren Hale, leader of the Labour Group on Hull City Council, stated: “John was an absolute giant, who adored his adopted city, which he served with such distinction.“Even after his 40 years as MP for Hull East, John participated fully in local life, and we feel personally privileged that he still found time to pop into the Guildhall to see us.“He is a local, national and international political legend and will be so sadly missed.” In homage, the council announced that the Guildhall flag would be flown at half-mast. David Davis, the Conservative MP for the adjacent constituency of Goole and Pocklington, remarked: “Britain has lost another great man.“We were in political battle a lot of the time, but he didn’t take that personally,” he added. Davis continued: “In fact, he told his biographer I was the only Tory he took seriously – and that’s because I’m working class.“But he also knew when to cooperate as well as fight, and that’s a skill not all of our modern politicians have.“I will miss him.”” Former Home Secretary Alan Johnson informed BBC Breakfast that a significant portion of Prescott’s work “was hard slog,” and that his accomplishments had remained “largely under the radar.” Johnson characterized his close friend as “very intelligent and very dedicated.” Reflecting on the egg incident, he further stated: “In a sense it displays his authenticity.” He elaborated: “John had it in spades and probably didn’t know it. Fortunately, that conflict was filmed and you saw a guy half his age, much bigger than him assaulting him. John wasn’t going to turn the other cheek. That was John, that was his background.” In 2019, Prescott informed The Guardian: “When I do die, after 50 years in politics, all they will show on the news is 60 seconds of me thumping a fellow in Wales.”