In Pictures: Party stalwart kept New Labour in touch with traditional supporters

John Prescott, who died aged 86 connected Wednesday pursuing a conflict with Alzheimer’s, was a cardinal fig successful Labour’s instrumentality from 18 years successful absorption successful 1997 to a spell successful authorities longer than immoderate the enactment had antecedently achieved, archetypal nether Tony Blair and past Gordon Brown.

At a clip erstwhile Sir Tony had pitched the enactment to the centre with a New Labour rebranding, Lord Prescott was capable to support the enactment successful interaction with its moving people roots – the antheral calved successful Prestatyn successful northbound Wales had worked arsenic a navigator and steward connected the Cunard enactment earlier entering Parliament.

He was ennobled successful 2010, introduced to the precocious enclosure arsenic Baron Prescott of Kingston upon Hull, having served for 4 decades arsenic an MP for the city, earlier leaving the House of Lords earlier this twelvemonth pursuing wellness problems.

Lord Prescott was peculiarly astatine location connected the battlebus, taking the enactment connection astir the state and was ne'er averse to a photograph opportunity, though a celebrated altercation successful Rhyl with an egg-throwing protester showed the perils of taking connected specified a public-facing role.

With relations often strained betwixt Sir Tony and then-chancellor Mr Brown, Lord Prescott often had to play the relation of peacemaker betwixt the 2 giants of the enactment and their respective supporters.

Lord Prescott’s uncompromising defence of Labour values astatine the clip erstwhile Margaret Thatcher was the ascendant fig of the governmental scenery won him affection successful the enactment that was wrestling implicit whether to determination to the near oregon the centre to antagonistic the ascendant premier curate of the day.

Donning a wetsuit to aquatics down the Thames earlier delivering a missive to Downing Street was 1 aboriginal illustration of a person alert of the powerfulness of the image.

His grapple with a protester who had hurled an ovum astatine him successful the Welsh seaside municipality of Rhyl during the 2001 run momentarily caused panic successful Labour ranks, but was rapidly played for laughs with the lawman premier curate saying helium was a assemblage pleaser who was obeying his enactment leader’s plea to link with the voters.

Lord Prescott flanked Sir Tony during his past PMQs arsenic premier and had steadfastly supported the person during 3 palmy predetermination campaigns, having sought the enactment himself connected the decease of John Smith, finishing a distant 2nd to Sir Tony but up of Dame Margaret Beckett.

Although helium retreated from the beforehand enactment arsenic Labour returned to opposition, helium was successful request connected the run way and enthusiastically took to the streets successful enactment of Jeremy Corbyn.

Eventually, a spot successful the House of Lords beckoned for Baron Prescott of Kingston-upon-Hull, the East Yorkshire metropolis helium agelong represented successful the Commons.

Among his non-political roles was to service arsenic a manager of Hull Kingston Rovers and helium often appeared connected TV, sometimes with woman Pauline.