John Prescott RIP

Former Labour deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the age of 86.

You could say he led a colourful life. As a Hull MP I would often see him around the city, especial in the railway station, despite his 2 Jags nickname he did use the trains a fair amount. He was quite easily recognize, especially when with his wife who had/has big hair. Which leads onto to one of his many funny quotes. He did support the use of public transport & was against rail privatization, but on occasion he was reported to been chauffeur riven 250 yards with his wife from their hotel to a Labour Party Conference. He explained that it was for security reasons & his wife didn't like getting her hair blown about. "next silly question ? "
The infamous incident when he punched a man who threw an egg at him earned him a new nickname of 2 japs.
Blair has described him as one of the most talented & unusual people he encountered in politics. He added that they would talk via videocall in recent times & that he was still as lively & punchy as ever.

RIP

Prezza

One of the more colourful misters of ouor time

RIP

Sad news. He always packed a punch.

A lot more pragmatic than ever given credit for. Chris Mullin gives a fair account in his diaries that he was exasperating to work for, but fiercely astute and supportive when in difficulties - not something I suspect could be said about many of his colleagues.

Colourful, perhaps, but generally red.

RIP

A genuine working class politician, Prescott was authentically what Farage inauthentically cosplays as. He was mocked for his manner & language, just as Rayner is, by the same right wing papers who declare Labour has lost touch with the "white working class".

R.I.P

John Prescott was the middle man between Blair and Brown and helped to keep the the government stitched together in times of difficulty.
That, for a party far more used to opposition than government at the time was priceless to their electoral success in the period from 1997.

Doddle had it right.
A colourful pragmatist.

Just wonder if he would have figured in Starmer's Government in any way.

(22-11-2024 17:21 )lovebabes56 Wrote:  Just wonder if he would have figured in Starmer's Government in any way.

He was 86 and had Alzheimer's so...oh hold on, maybe.....

favorite line from him was at a party conference referred to Michael Heseltine as Karma Sutra man been in every postion apart from no 10