UK former deputy PM John Prescott dies aged 86

Tony Blair leads tributes to ‘incredibly direct’ deputy, known for not pulling his punches – connected 1 occasion, literally.

Britain’s erstwhile Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has died pursuing a conflict pinch Alzheimer’s, his family announced.

Prescott, an ex-merchant seaman who became a cardinal fig successful Tony Blair’s New Labour government, died “peacefully” successful a attraction location astatine nan property of 86, his family said connected Thursday.

Blair, premier curate betwixt 1997 and 2007, led tributes to his erstwhile deputy, calling him an “incredibly nonstop communicator” and adding that location was “no 1 rather for illustration him successful British politics”.

Speaking connected nan BBC’s Today programme, Blair said Prescott, known for his gritty, no-nonsense style marque of politics, had a “fantastic gut small heart ” and that he held a “huge, genuine affection for him”.

Prescott, a salient waste and acquisition unionist proud of his working-class roots, was viewed by galore arsenic a span betwixt Labour Party traditionalists and Blair’s revamped New Labour, which promoted a “Third Way” betwixt centre-left societal argumentation and centre-right capitalism.

Prescott, who was often lampooned by nan media for mispronouncing words aliases making grammatical mistakes – a trait that galore said belied his fierce intellect – was nicknamed “Two Jags” for having 2 luxury Jaguar cars: 1 personal, 1 for ministerial duties.

Criticised for utilizing nan ministerial car for a 180-metre (200-yard) travel backmost to his edifice astatine nan 1999 Labour conference, he claimed – pinch his emblematic bluntness – that it was to forestall his woman Pauline’s hairsbreadth from being blown astir successful nan wind.

Campaigning for nan 2001 wide election, he punched a man who threw an ovum astatine him, an incident that generated headlines astir nan world and prompted journalists to amend his nickname to “two jabs”.

Asked successful a news convention nan adjacent time astir nan assault, Blair said: “John is John.”

John Prescott (left), known arsenic a Labour Party traditionalist pinch beardown roots successful nan waste and acquisition national movement, greets erstwhile Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn during a wide predetermination run arena successful Kingston upon Hull, England, successful 2017 [File: Oli Scarff/AFP]

Blair told nan Today programme that, while immoderate criticised Prescott’s behaviour, “there were different group saying ‘yeah, but he had this ovum slammed connected his caput and he turned astir and whacked nan guy’, and a batch of group think, ‘well, adjacent enough’.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer lauded Prescott arsenic “a staunch defender of moving people”, who would beryllium remembered for his “conviction, courage, and spot of character”.

“So overmuch of John’s activity group nan way for those of america fortunate capable to follow. From starring ambiance negotiations to fighting location inequality, his bequest will unrecorded connected good beyond his lifetime,” said Starmer.

Prescott was calved connected May 31, 1938, successful nan seaside municipality of Prestatyn successful Wales, rising from his humble beginnings arsenic nan boy of a railway signalman and a maid done nan waste and acquisition national movement.

He studied authorities astatine Oxford’s Ruskin College arsenic a mature student, later serving arsenic lawman premier curate passim Blair’s decade successful office.

Though he near Wales erstwhile he was four, he ever considered himself Welsh.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies