John Prescott: ‘He was both behind and ahead of his time’
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John Prescott was one of Britain’s most iconic political figures and a “titan” of the New Labour movement.
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In brief…
- The News Agents react to the death of John Prescott, the legendary New Labour figure who served as Tony Blair’s deputy Prime Minister for over a decade.
- Prescott was his authentic self, with his working-class upbringing and trade union background allowing him to speak to parts of the Labour party his contemporaries couldn’t.
- He “stood out” and would be quite the asset for progressive parties today, The News Agents say.
What’s the story?
John Prescott, Britain’s longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister, has died at the age of 86.
He was a firebrand of the New Labour movement and earned legendary status in UK politics, winning three consecutive elections while often acting as a mediator between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. Prescott was known for his fiery, passionate and authentic approach to politics.
“He was who he was. He wasn't ashamed of it. He definitely wasn't ashamed of where he'd come from, or the jobs he'd done. He gave as good as he got,” Emily Maitlis says.
One of his most iconic moments was when he punched an activist who threw an egg at him. In 2019, he told the media he feared this would be what he is best remembered for.
Tributes that have poured in suggest this is not the case.
Blair said in a statement: “There was nothing about John which fitted conventional wisdom. He was from proud traditional working-class stock yet understood instinctively and completely the aspirations of that class and their desire to better themselves.”
Brown called Prescott a Labour “titan”. Keir Starmer called him a “giant of the movement” and “truly a one-off”.
"He did it all in his own way, with humour, with pride, passion and total conviction,” Starmer said.
'A young John Prescott would do well in politics today'
Prescott’s political career
Prescott left school at 15 and worked on a cruise ship before rising through the trade union movement and later entering politics.
He was elected as an MP for Kingston upon Hull before becoming a Labour frontbench spokesman early in his career. He joined the shadow cabinet in 1983.
Prescott served as Blair’s deputy PM for 10 years, from 1997 until 2007, and was part of the team that won three consecutive general elections.
“He was that rough diamond kind of working class” says Jon. At the time, this marked him out from the “polished” politicians like Blair at the time, Lewis says.
He adds: “He was very subscribed to the New Labour project, but he was certainly to the left of where Blair was, but a fiercely loyal trooper and deputy.” Prescott’s former colleague Lord Peter Mandelson described him as “the anchor of New Labour”, saying he was “central” to its electoral success.
Prescott was ennobled and introduced to the House of Lords after four decades as Kingston upon Hull’s MP.
What’s The News Agents’ take?
Lewis says that “Prescott was both behind and ahead of his time”.
Behind in the sense that he ran for leader, but was never going to secure this position as he was “out of step with the mores of that time”.
“He wasn’t quintessentially old Labour, but he still associated a bit more with the left of the party. that bluff kind of character just didn't really sit with the smoothness of the 1990s.”
“And yet,” he goes on, “when we think about our own time, we can imagine a young John Prescott doing exceptionally well in the sort of politics that we have now.”
That’s because he would stand-out in an era where people often loathe overly smooth-talking politicians, and instead are drawn to more authentic characters. Prescott, as Lewis says, “was what he was”.
In his time as a politician, he'd been steeped in the trade union movement.
“Blair had said that he was his emissary of that part of the party - he could speak to parts of the party that perhaps Blair couldn't naturally speak to.”
Importantly, Lewis notes, Prescott was able to resonate with people as he “stood out” and “made people laugh”.
In today’s politics, for better or worse we tend to put a premium on this kind of politician, Lewis says.
He adds: “It is hard for politicians to cut through the noise. We're seeing that more reactionary parties have been far better at creating those phenomena.
“Progressive parties can't just keep turning up with slightly bland people, with a water pistol to a knife fight. They have to have those characters, and I think Prescott would have been one of those had he been a bit younger.”
“You never knew whether you were going to get friendly John Prescott, or sulfurous, explosive John Prescott,” Jon adds.
At times he could be “bloody difficult”, Jon says, but he was also “incredibly effective in what he did”.
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