Former PM Tony Blair emotional as he remembers Lord Prescott

An affectional Sir Tony Blair paid tribute to his erstwhile lawman premier curate John Prescott arsenic helium said determination was “no 1 rather similar him successful British politics”.

The erstwhile Labour premier minister’s dependable quavered arsenic helium spoke astir Lord Prescott, the longest serving lawman premier curate successful British history.

“There was nary 1 rather similar him successful British politics,” Sir Tony told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

He had earlier paused aft describing himself arsenic feeling “devastated” by Lord Prescott’s decease astatine property 86.

Lord Prescott was a cardinal fig of the New Labour project, seen by galore arsenic custodian of the party’s accepted values successful the look of a modernising leadership.

He was ennobled successful 2010 and introduced to the precocious enclosure arsenic Baron Prescott of Kingston upon Hull having served for 4 decades arsenic an MP for the city.

Sir Tony told the BBC the champion proposal Lord Prescott gave him was “always to retrieve that we had 2 bits of the coalition” successful the Labour Party.

He said: “One spot of the conjugation was, you know, your progressive mediate class, but the different was your aspirational moving class.

“And it’s precise important to realise this astir John – helium was arrogant of his moving people roots, but helium didn’t observe them successful the consciousness of saying, you know, I privation everyone to enactment arsenic they are.”

In a written tribute to his adjacent colleague, Sir Tony had described Lord Prescott arsenic “one of the astir talented radical I ever encountered successful politics; 1 of the astir committed and loyal; and decidedly the astir unusual.”

He besides said Lord Prescott could “talk successful the bluntest and sometimes bluest language”, but added this “concealed a archetypal complaint intellect which meant helium thought arsenic profoundly astir issues arsenic overmuch arsenic helium cared astir them”.

Sir Tony, nether whom Labour won 3 consecutive presumption of office, said these victories could not person been imaginable without Lord Prescott.

“He was a commanding presence. He represented the helping of the enactment which was not New Labour, but helium did it successful a mode which ne'er reduced the effectiveness of our entreaty and so extended it, broadening the basal of our support,” helium added.

Among Lord Prescott’s governmental achievements were the revival of British interior cities, the Kyoto clime treaty, and completing the Channel Tunnel, Sir Tony said.

He added: “Underneath what could beryllium a fierce exterior, and a mode immoderate undoubtedly recovered intimidating, bushed a loving, benignant and compassionate quality heart. John was arsenic bully a person arsenic you could ever anticipation to have, with a heavy sensitivity, adjacent vulnerability.

“He volition deservedly inhabit a peculiar spot successful the pantheon of the Labour leadership; helium volition beryllium mourned by his galore friends and fans astir the satellite and for me, personally, contiguous is simply a time of profound sadness but besides immense pridefulness successful having known him and worked with him: a large antheral and large servant of state and party.”