Former UK Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, has died aged 86 after a battle with Alzheimer’s, his family announced on Thursday.
Prescott who served under Britain’s Tony Blair between 1997 and 2007, was renowned as a politician who bridged the divide between the traditional left-wing and the modernisers in the Labour Party.
Blair led tributes to his former deputy, calling him an “incredibly direct communicator,” adding that there was “no one quite like him in British politics”.
Speaking to the BBC on Thursday, Blair said Prescott, known for his no-nonsense style of politics had a “fantastic gut instinct,” adding that he held a “huge, genuine affection for him”.
Prescott was born on May 31, 1938, in Wales and was dubbed an old-school political “bruiser”. During an election campaign in 2001, he punched a man who threw an egg at him.
Blair, referring to the incident, told the BBC that, while some criticised Prescott’s behaviour, “other people were saying ‘yeah, but he had this egg slammed on his head and he turned around and whacked the guy’, and a lot of people think, ‘well, fair enough.
“He was one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics; one of the most committed and loyal; and definitely the most unusual,” he said. “There was nothing about John which fitted conventional wisdom.”
Prime Minister Keir Starmer lauded Prescott as “a staunch defender of working people”, who would be remembered for his “conviction, courage, and strength of character”.
“So much of John’s work set the path for those of us fortunate enough to follow. From leading climate negotiations to fighting regional inequality, his legacy will live on well beyond his lifetime,” said Starmer.