Gordon Brown pays tribute to 'colossus' John Prescott after his death aged 86 following battle with Alzheimer's

21 November 2024, 09:08 | Updated: 21 November 2024, 10:08

Gordon Brown reflects on the achievements of John Prescott

Gordon Brown has told LBC that John Prescott was a "working class hero" and "colossus of the Labour movement" after the former deputy prime minister died at age 86.

Speaking to Nick Ferrari at Breakfast this morning, former PM Mr Brown said John Prescott will be remembered as a "titan" of Labour.

He also referenced John Lennon's description of "working class heroes" and suggested that Mr Prescott would have "quite liked that title himself because of the way he fought for great causes".

Mr Brown said: "There was this uncompromising toughness associated with trade union leadership but John, when you talked to him about things, he was generous, he was warm, he was friendly, of course we had discussions on issues but John always thought you've got to get a conclusion, you've got to get on with it, you've gotta have unity to get things done.

"I think John will be remembered as a colossus of the Labour movement, a titan. John Lennon used to talk about working class heroes and I think John would quite like that title himself because of the way he fought for great causes".

Read more: Former deputy PM John Prescott dies aged 86 following battle with Alzheimer's

Read more: 'Devastated' Tony Blair leads tributes to John Prescott after former deputy PM dies aged 86

Asked to describe the former deputy prime minister's legacy, Mr Brown credited him as the "first to see the importance of climate change" and a "pioneer" of devolution.

He said: "He was the first to see the importance of climate change, and worked for the Kyoto agreement as long ago as 1997, he was in favour of pioneering regional policy and he pioneered devolution and elected mayors, he saw the importance of housing, under his leadership 1.5 million houses were modernised, it was a huge investment he persuaded us to make".

He also reminisced on Mr Prescott's sense of humour: "He used to go to Ronnie Scott's at the end of a Parliamentary day and would bump into Ken Clarke who was also a great jazz enthusiast, and he would say to Ken Clarke, 'well how many hospitals have you closed today?' and Clarke would reply 'well at least not one in your constituency John' so he would talk even to his adversaries".

The former trade union activist died "peacefully" and surrounded by relatives at his care home, his family said in a statement.

They said he spent his life "trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment".

Lord Prescott was a key figure of Sir Tony Blair's New Labour project, seen by many as custodian of the party's traditional values in the face of a modernising leadership.

He was ennobled in 2010 and introduced to the upper chamber as Baron Prescott of Kingston upon Hull after having served for four decades as an MP for the city.

John Prescott punches man on 2001 campaign trail

In a statement released after his death, his wife Pauline and sons Johnathan and David said that representing the people of Hull had been "his greatest honour".

"We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, passed away peacefully yesterday at the age of 86," they said.

"He did so surrounded by the love of his family and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery.

"John spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment, doing so from his time as a waiter on the cruise liners to becoming Britain's longest serving deputy prime minister.

"John dearly loved his home of Hull and representing its people in Parliament for 40 years was his greatest honour.

"We would like to thank the amazing NHS doctors and nurses who cared for him after his stroke in 2019 and the dedicated staff at the care home where he passed away after latterly living with Alzheimer's.

"In lieu of flowers and if you wish to do so, you can donate to Alzheimer's Research UK.

"As you can imagine, our family needs to process our grief so we respectfully request time and space to mourn in private. Thank you."

Lord Prescott was removed from the House of Lords in July this year after facing health difficulties.

He had only spoken once in the chamber since suffering a stroke in 2019 and had not voted since February 2023.

Over a parliamentary career spanning more than half a century, he served for 10 years as deputy PM after Labour's 1997 general election landslide.

He once famously punched a protester who threw an egg at him during an election campaign visit to North Wales in 2001.

However, during most of his time in office, he acted as a mediator between Sir Tony and chancellor Gordon Brown.

He also oversaw the environment, transport and the regions, a brief which included helping to negotiate the international Kyoto Protocol on climate change.