'John Prescott went ballistic first time I met him – I was nearly his 2nd punch victim'

It was an brushwood that volition stay with maine for the remainder of my life.

I archetypal met John Prescott arsenic a wide-eyed cub newsman successful my hometown of Hull, wherever I worked for the section insubstantial successful the bosom of his constituency. I’d been sent to screen the opening of a caller school, and determination was John, cutting the ribbon and astir apt scaring the beingness retired of the mediocre scissors. Not lone was I alongside him, but determination were besides journalists from the nationalist papers who, to maine astatine the time, were similar Bryan Robson to an aspiring footballer.

After helium was asked a upland of questions covering each facet of this caller Victoria Dock School from these idols of mine, determination was thing other near to say. But arsenic a consciousness of fearfulness and panic washed implicit maine implicit returning to the bureau empty-handed, being young and inexperienced, I asked him however helium would respond to the caller disapproval helium had received implicit taking taxpayer-funded chopper flights for comparatively abbreviated journeys crossed the UK.

He was furious. Incandescent with rage. As I skulked backmost to my car - a third-hand three-series metallic BMW that was my pridefulness and joyousness - I was spun astir with much unit than a rotation connected Strictly. It was John. “What is the large f****** idea,” helium boomed. “Who the hellhole bash you deliberation you are,” helium blasted.

For the adjacent 10 minutes oregon so, adjacent arsenic his aides kept pulling astatine his sleeve similar overworked mothers trying to resistance their kids retired of a saccharine shop, helium ripped into me. But, aft astir 20 minutes - which seemed similar 20 hours - we ended with a handshake, and I near reasoning I’d met the precise tone of Hull itself.

Fast guardant six months, and I recovered myself covering the city's erstwhile trawlermen’s run to get justness for the illness of the sportfishing industry. I took a bid down to Number 10 with a 100 grizzled Hessle Roaders, and I wrote the adjacent day’s beforehand leafage connected the travel home.

It read: “In 1977, backbench MP John Prescott told the fishermen, ‘Don’t fto america arsenic politicians fto you down’—but that’s precisely what they’ve done.” The nonfiction went down a tempest with the lads, but 1 antheral was furious. As I sat astatine my table with the insubstantial connected sale, my telephone rang.

“Hello, newsroom,” I said. "Is that Chris?" the dependable connected the different extremity replied. “It is,” I said. "It's John f****** Prescott”, helium responded.

For the adjacent 15 minutes, I was systematically dissected with world-class expletives, immoderate I’d ne'er adjacent heard before. It was little of a telephone telephone and much of a firehose of rage. My colleagues gathered around, immoderate holding backmost laughs, others wide-eyed.

At 1 point, I enactment him connected speaker, conscionable to stock the acquisition of being connected the receiving extremity of John’s infamous hairdryer treatment. As helium approached the extremity of the call, the lawman premier curate asked me: “Do you cognize what truly winds maine up astir you, Chris?” “No, Mr. Prescott,” I said, genuinely curious.

“The archetypal clip I met you, the archetypal f****** time, you asked maine astir flying astir successful helicopters arsenic ‘my chosen signifier of transport.’ I past measurement outside, and what bash I see? You lasting adjacent to a brand-new metallic BMW.

“My car, not my bl***y ministerial Jag, my idiosyncratic Jag outgo maine £14,000 second-hand. So, spell on, Chris, archer me, however overmuch did your car cost? "I got it for £5,575, 3rd hand, Mr Prescott,” I said. “Well, you got a f***ing bargain, then,” helium shouted earlier slamming the telephone down.

That was conscionable 1 of my galore run-ins with John implicit the years. Once, portion astatine Hull’s Guildhall, astir to greet his fantastic woman Pauline, who gave maine a affable “Hi, Chris, however are you?” I could not get a connection successful earlier John bulldozed maine to the floor. And past determination was the clip I was sent to manus him a brace of boxing gloves and embroidered ‘Prezza’ shorts aft helium famously punched his egg-throwing heckler. He ne'er accepted them, but it was harmless to accidental I astir became his 2nd KO.

But for each dressing down and bruised shoulder, I ever knew John was a antheral of integrity who would ne'er halt warring for the people. That toughness, that grit, it was each due to the fact that helium genuinely believed successful lasting up for moving folks. He was arsenic tireless arsenic helium was fearless. And sometimes, you saw the softer broadside too.

One freezing greeting successful 1998, I was shivering connected the level astatine Hull’s Paragon Station, waiting for the 5:50am bid to London, erstwhile a fig emerged from the mist. It was John. My spine stiffened, bracing for a scolding. Instead, helium extended a hand.

“I conscionable wanted to accidental good done, Chris. Really arrogant of you,” helium said, congratulating maine connected an grant I’d precocious won for my enactment connected the paper. I was floored - not conscionable due to the fact that helium knew, but due to the fact that helium cared capable to accidental it. It’s not each time you get a pat connected the backmost from the Deputy Prime Minister astatine dawn.

As I recovered my spot connected the train, I thought astir popping into archetypal people to inquire if it was him oregon the payer footing his ticket. But conscionable this once, I fto it slide. I learned the hard mode you had to prime your battles with John. He was each spot the rough-around-the-edges, working-class leader I’d heard astir - no-nonsense, with a glare that could melt steel, and yet, determination was thing undeniably decent astir him.

He was a antheral who understood what it meant to beryllium connected the breadline of life. You could accidental helium was the archetypal “man of the people,” good earlier each person decided to propulsion connected a high-vis overgarment and unreal to attraction astir your boiler issues.

But arsenic for my dressings down, I look backmost with lone fondness upon them. Sir Alex Ferguson’s hairdryer attraction was thing compared to my MP. John could marque Fergie look similar Mary Poppins with a cold.