Tribute to Lord Prescott – by Baroness Smith
1997: Then-deputy prime minister John Prescott works on a speech during a visit to Scotland| Image by: Trinity Mirror / Mirrorpix / Alamy Stock Photo
4 min read
Witty, passionate and down-to-earth, John Prescott was a natural communicator. He also made a real difference in government, leading a programme of change as deputy prime minister and a secretary of state
Much of the story of John Prescott’s life is well-documented and has been repeated in many of the obituaries written over the past few weeks.
Yet it is really hard to capture the essence of John on paper. He was a complex, down-to-earth, passionate man, who enjoyed confounding friends and critics alike.
From the young boy who failed his 11-plus and later joined the merchant navy, John’s values and determination led him to hold one of the highest offices in the country.
He could be a wily enemy and a firm and loyal friend. He was an instinctive negotiator, being smart and tenacious – and not without a touch of cunning! He was amusing and self-deprecating, but also proud of his achievements.
John was a natural communicator, although not always an orthodox one. In the famous ‘Prescott punch’ on the campaign trail in Wales, when ‘egged’ by a protestor, he lashed back with a pretty impressive jab. While others worried about the political impact, Tony Blair just said, “John is John” and many sympathised with his decision to retaliate. John later joked: “Tony told me to connect with the electorate.”
On leaving school, John worked for Cunard as a steward and became an effective National Union of Seaman rep. During one cruise in 1957 he won several boxing contests – the prizes for which were presented by Anthony Eden who was recuperating after his post-Suez resignation.
Despite some political opponents bizarrely taunting him later in life about his role as a waiter, smugly calling for him to fetch a gin and tonic, John remained fiercely proud of his backstory. We will never know if his amusing ‘recollections’ of mishaps and insubordination were apocryphal. I like to think they were true, if slightly exaggerated.
After failing to get into Parliament at the 1966 election, John became a full-time official at the seamen’s union before being elected as MP for Kingston upon Hull East in 1970 – a seat he would hold for the next 40 years.
John’s speeches were always entertaining – fiery, deeply political, and funny
I first met John at the 1986 Labour Conference, which I attended as a parliamentary candidate. At the time civil partnerships were still quite contentious, and I was so impressed by hearing someone caricatured as a parliamentary bruiser by the press speaking movingly about recognising the love between two men or two women.
In many ways the 1993 Conference cemented John’s reputation as a political leader – and a moderniser, although he would never have used the word. An impassioned speech during the ‘One Member, One Vote’ debate helped deliver a crucial outcome.
John’s speeches were always entertaining – fiery, deeply political, and funny. Whether facing opponents across the dispatch box or political barnstorming on the conference stage, he always held his audience – although he tested the skills of Hansard writers and journalists alike.
John’s roles as deputy leader and deputy prime minister were vital. Working with Tony and Gordon, he engaged both old and New Labour voters with, as he put it himself, “traditional values in a modern setting”.
Following our historic win in 1997 John was charged with a massive programme of change in the newly created Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. He quickly made his mark, including major reforms to rail regulation.
Later, through the newly created ‘Office of the Deputy Prime Minister’, he was the main driver of the Decent Homes Programme and delivered major changes in how local authorities worked through ‘best value’. He also repealed the stain of Section 28.
John championed environmental causes and remained passionate on the issue. He was an early advocate of international agreements and last week Al Gore paid generous tribute to his key role in the Kyoto negotiations.
John married Pauline in 1961. Although a lover of jazz music, a highlight at major Labour gatherings was their impressive jive. My thoughts are with Pauline, their sons Jonathan and David, and grandchildren.
Baroness Smith of Basildon is a Labour peer and Leader of the House of Lords
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