John Prescott beams with happiness next to wife Pauline in last snap before his death

In a photograph shared by his household connected X connected Thursday, Lord Prescott is pictured smiling beside his woman of 63 years Pauline, connected her 82nd birthday, surrounded by flowers, chocolates and Champagne.

She and the couple’s sons said Lord Prescott had died peacefully, “surrounded by the emotion of his household and the jazz euphony of Marian Montgomery”.

“John spent his beingness trying to amended the lives of others, warring for societal justness and protecting the environment, doing truthful from his clip arsenic a waiter connected the cruise liners to becoming Britain’s longest serving Deputy Prime Minister,” said his woman Pauline, and his children Johnathan and David, successful a connection connected X.

“John dearly loved his location of Hull and representing its radical successful Parliament for 40 years was his top honour,” they added.

They besides thanked the “amazing” NHS doctors and nurses who cared for him pursuing a changeable helium suffered successful 2019, and unit astatine the attraction location wherever helium lived during the last portion of his life, and wherever helium died.

Tributes person poured successful since quality broke of Lord Prescott’s death.

Former premier curate Sir Tony said helium was “devastated”, adding: “He was 1 of the astir talented radical I ever encountered successful politics; 1 of the astir committed and loyal; and decidedly the astir unusual.”

Sir Tony continued: “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 maine 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.”

His successor, Gordon Brown, said “former boxer” Lord Prescott was “key to holding the ringing and keeping things unneurotic during hard times specified arsenic implicit Iraq”.

He added: “John Lennon said the the moving people leader is simply a hard happening to be, but I deliberation John would beryllium conscionable good with being remembered that way. He wanted the bully things successful beingness for everyone and not conscionable himself. And helium showed that Britain tin beryllium a state wherever if you enactment hard you tin capable your potential.”

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Lord Prescott was a “true elephantine of the Labour movement” and 1 of the “key architects” of the past Labour government.

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.

Lord Prescott ceased to beryllium a subordinate of the precocious House successful July this twelvemonth aft facing wellness difficulties.

He had lone spoken erstwhile successful the enclosure since his changeable successful 2019, authoritative records show, and had not voted since February 2023.

Born successful Prestatyn, Wales, connected May 31 1938, the lad of a railwayman, Lord Prescott near schoolhouse astatine the property of 15 to enactment arsenic a trainee cook and past arsenic a steward connected the Cunard Line earlier entering politics.

Over a parliamentary vocation spanning much than fractional a century, Lord Prescott served for 10 years arsenic lawman premier curate aft Labour’s 1997 wide predetermination landslide.

At times short-tempered, helium erstwhile famously punched a protester who threw an ovum astatine him during an predetermination run sojourn to North Wales successful 2001.

But during overmuch of his clip successful office, helium acted arsenic a mediator successful the often turbulent narration betwixt Sir Tony and chancellor Gordon Brown.

He besides oversaw the environment, transport and the regions, a little which included helping to negociate the planetary Kyoto Protocol connected clime change.

Lord Prescott was a loyal protagonist of Sir Tony successful bureau but subsequently captious of parts of New Labour’s legacy, denouncing Britain’s engagement successful the Iraq War.

He besides powerfully defended Jeremy Corbyn during his clip arsenic enactment person successful the look of fierce criticism.