John Prescott: Seven big moments in life of Labour legend

John Prescott, the Labour Party stalwart who roseate from being a steward connected a cruise vessel to serving arsenic lawman premier curate for a grounds 10 years, has died astatine the property of 86.

Former premier ministers Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown led tributes to Lord Prescott, 1 of the astir colourful politicians of their era.

Here are 7 of his astir memorable moments.

Prescott had been a Labour MP since 1970 - and had already made 2 failed attempts to go the party's lawman leader, erstwhile helium strode connected to the enactment league signifier successful Brighton successful 1993, to present the code of his life.

Labour's then-leader John Smith was trying to bring successful arguable changes to power to one-member-one ballot for selecting parliamentary candidates, successful the teeth of beardown absorption from galore commercialized unions who saw it arsenic a dilution of their power.

With Smith facing apt decision and, with it, perchance the extremity of his leadership, helium turned to Prescott - the lifelong commercialized unionist - to triumph implicit waverers.

Despite a aboriginal estimation for mangling his words, Prescott's show successful the league hallway was an impassioned circuit de force.

"There is nary uncertainty that this man, our leader, enactment his caput connected the block... He has enactment his caput there, present it is clip to vote. Give america a small trust," helium said.

He ne'er looked back. When Smith died small much than six months later, Prescott was - astatine the 3rd effort - elected lawman Labour leader, and became lawman PM successful 1997.

In December 1997, the UK delegation led by the lawman PM played a starring relation successful agreeing the landmark Kyoto Protocol connected clime change.

For the archetypal time, astir each UN subordinate states committed themselves to cutting greenhouse state emissions, based connected a technological statement that human-made CO2 was driving planetary warming.

The negotiations successful Japan ran mode past their deadline and determination were fears nary woody would beryllium struck.

Climate campaigner and then-US Vice-President Al Gore said Prescott "fought similar hell" for an statement and was "an unwavering champion of clime enactment for decades to come".

He "possessed an inherent quality to link with radical astir the issues that mattered to them - a endowment that others walk years studying and cultivating, but that was 2nd quality to him," Gore added.

Prescott himself said, if helium was remembered for conscionable 1 thing, it would beryllium for his punch during the 2001 wide predetermination campaign.

The run itself is remembered for small else, arsenic Labour was returned to powerfulness with astir arsenic ample a Commons bulk arsenic 4 years earlier.

Arriving for a enactment rally successful Rhyl, Denbighshire, a pro-hunting protagonist cracked an ovum connected Prescott's head.

As the TV cameras continued to roll, the lawman PM responded with a near hook.

A scuffle ensued, but was rapidly breached up by bystanders and police.

Blair's communications main Alastair Campbell told Prescott helium needed to contented a nationalist apology. He refused.

At a property league the pursuing morning, Blair said it would person been amended if it had not happened, portion adding: "John is John".

The incidental did not look to dent either Prescott's oregon Labour's ratings successful the polls.

Prescott was fixed the nickname “two Jags” by the property aft it was revealed helium utilized 2 Jaguar cars – 1 of them his ain and the 2nd a ministerial car.

During the Labour league successful Bournemouth successful 1999, his authorities car took him 250 yards from his edifice to the league centre.

On stage, arsenic situation and transport secretary, helium past urged motorists to chopped their c emissions by utilizing nationalist transport.

He aboriginal claimed helium had taken the abbreviated travel by car due to the fact that his wife, Pauline, did not similar to person her hairsbreadth blown astir connected the seafront.

In 2021, Lord Prescott revealed helium had since decided to marque his “own tiny publication to cutting c emissions”.

"I americium present zero Jags – selling a car oregon eating food and chips with a little c footprint unsocial won’t prevention the planet, but arsenic the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu erstwhile said: ‘Great acts are made up of tiny deeds’,” helium wrote successful The Times.

His lad David told the BBC his begetter had fixed up cars for good.

When Prescott became lawman PM successful 1997, helium was besides handed a precise ample portfolio arsenic caput of authorities for the caller Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

In 2001, this was breached up, with abstracted departments for environment, nutrient and agrarian affairs, and for transport, hived off.

One of Prescott's passions was devolution for England's regions - to travel Scotland and Wales - though the elected determination assemblies helium envisaged would person had less powers.

Because of the standard of absorption to his plans, the authorities held a referendum connected them successful 2004, successful the North-East portion wherever enactment was thought to beryllium strongest.

The result was a bitter pill for Prescott to swallow, with 78% of the votes formed against devolution. A young Dominic Cummings was the mastermind down the victorious No campaign, trying retired tactics and messages helium would aboriginal usage successful the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Prescott's program for elected determination assemblies was rapidly shelved.

Nevertheless, Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, a furniture curate nether Gordon Brown, said Prescott was the archetypal idiosyncratic to springiness the northbound of England a governmental illustration and paved the mode for aboriginal devolution to metro mayors.

Prescott concisely appeared successful deed TV drama Gavin & Stacey successful 2010.

In the 3rd bid of the BBC show, Ruth Jones’s quality Nessa Jenkins regularly recalled fictional erstwhile relationships with celebrities including Prescott.

In the last episode, helium made a cameo quality arsenic himself, arriving arsenic a impermanent astatine Nessa’s wedding arsenic she prepared to wed fiance Dave Coaches.

He enters the religion and congratulates Dave, who replies: “Cheers John, bully to spot you.”

Prescott wrote connected his blog: "I accidental I person to judge it appears I’ve mislaid retired to a amended man.”

According to Nessa connected screen, helium gave her “full usage of 1 of the Jags”.

For galore Labour supporters and activists, determination was a consciousness that Prescott provided an antidote to the rotation and slick presumption of New Labour.

Often ridiculed by parliamentary sketch writers for mangling the English language, to supporters helium appeared an mean antheral facing the intelligence bullying by radical with a amended education.

His favourite movie was Billy Elliot, the communicative of a bluish working-class lad who fights poorness and prejudice and poorness to go a starring ballet dancer.

Prescott said helium had seen it 5 times aft it archetypal came retired successful 2000. He akdso revealed it made him cry.