Prescott, who was appointed to the House of Lords, had been afflicted with Alzheimer’s and had a stroke in 2019.According to his family on Thursday, John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister of Britain who worked under Tony Blair and helped revolutionise the nation’s Labour party, passed away at the age of 86.
“We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, passed away yesterday (Wednesday) at the age of 86,” a statement read.Blair said he was “devastated” by Prescott’s passing. Blair, a lawyer with a private education, brought in working-class Prescott to help placate the Labour left as he steered the party towards the centre ground.He said on BBC radio that “no one in British politics was quite like him.”Prescott was a well-known figure at home and spearheaded Britain’s participation in the 1997 international Kyoto Protocol on climate change.
Al Gore, a prominent environmentalist and former US vice president, praised a “dear friend” and declared that he would always be “appreciative of his dedication to resolving the climate crisis.””He was a steadfast advocate for climate action for decades to come and battled valiantly to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol,” he said in a statement.”He had a natural ability to connect with people about the things that were important to them — a skill that others study and develop for years, but that was second nature,” he continued.Blair’s successor as prime minister, Gordon Brown, referred to Prescott as a “colossus” and “titan of the Labour movement.”
He claimed that he was “likely the first government minister to recognise the significance of the environment,” and that “John’s hard work with Al Gore” was responsible for the 1997 Kyoto pact.After a resounding victory in the July general election, Keir Starmer, who became Labour’s first prime minister since 2010, referred to Prescott as “a true giant of the Labour movement.”
‘Proud trade unionist’“He was a staunch defender of working people and a proud trade unionist. In his ten years as deputy prime minister, he played a pivotal role in the formation of a Labour government that revolutionised the lives of millions of people nationwide’, he continued.John’s work paved the way for those of us who were lucky enough to follow it. His legacy will endure long after he is gone, from spearheading climate talks to combating regional inequality.
Prescott, a former merchant seaman and trade union activist who spent forty years representing Hull in northern England as a member of parliament, passed away “peacefully” in a care facility, according to his wife Pauline and two sons.They went on to say, “He did so surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery.”Prescott, who was appointed to the House of Lords, had been afflicted with Alzheimer’s and had a stroke in 2019. Due to his health issues, he resigned from the upper house of parliament in July.
Plain-speaking, Prescott served for 10 years as Blair’s deputy following Labour’s landslide 1997 general election win. During a campaign stop in north Wales he punched a protester who threw an egg at him.But he also acted as a mediator between Blair and his finance minister Gordon Brown, who also helmed the transformation of Labour in the 1990s and who had designs on power.Prescott’s brief included the environment and transport.
Blair said in a 2007 letter to Prescott that he saw his role as “smoothing out colleagues and sorting out colleagues and trouble-shooting”.“The completely unique Prescott blend of charm and brutality… got you through the decade, kept the government together and above all, gave me a lot of fun. I was lucky to have you as my deputy,” he told him.
