'John Prescott was a much misunderstood man and also a much underestimated man'

The Mirror's Jason Beattie writes that 'John was a overmuch misunderstood antheral and besides a overmuch underestimated man. He and his governmental vocation were afloat of ironies and contradictions'

Labour is successful grief this greeting pursuing the passing of John Prescott.

John was a overmuch misunderstood antheral and besides a overmuch underestimated man. He and his governmental vocation were afloat of ironies and contradictions.

He was regarded arsenic a bruiser yet helium was cultured and sensitive. (He revealed helium cried erstwhile watching Billy Elliott, a movie helium saw 5 times erstwhile it archetypal came out.) He proudly owned 2 Jaguar cars yet was 1 of the aboriginal champions of the request to instrumentality enactment connected the clime crisis.

A antheral possibly champion known for throwing a punch spent overmuch of his clip successful authorities acting arsenic a peacekeeper betwixt Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He was an aged Labour warrior who was integral to the New Labour project.

Blair’s tribute to Prescott this greeting could not beryllium much heartfelt oregon generous. “It is nary exaggeration to accidental the Labour Party could ne'er person won 3 consecutive afloat presumption without John," Blair said successful a statement.

“He was a commanding presence. He represented the helping of the Party 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.”

The erstwhile Prime Minister went connected to database Prescott’s achievements successful bureau from starring connected the Kyoto clime talks, establishing the Coalfield Communities Trust, to overseeing the refurbishment of hundreds of thousands of assembly homes.

No governmental vocation is wholly successful. Prescott’s imaginativeness of greater devolution to the regions was scuppered astatine the archetypal hurdle, though, successful retrospect, it present seems up of its clip with the emergence of the metro mayors.

Throughout his clip successful bureau Prescott was often mocked for his accent, his occasional mangling of words and his moving people roots. If you privation an knowing of what helium was up against, 1 Tory MP utilized to outcry “garçon” crossed the Commons enclosure successful notation to Prescott’s clip arsenic a waiter connected cruise liners.

What his critics ne'er appreciated was helium represented the aspiration his enactment was seeking to marque disposable to others. He besides brought an authenticity to New Labour which was sorely needed successful a task that became synonymous with rotation doctors and power freakery.