Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott Has Died At 86

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has died at the age of 86 following a battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

The peer was a key figure in the New Labour government which swept to power in the 1997 general election landslide.

His family said he had “spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment”.

The former trade union activist and ex-merchant seaman died “peacefully” and surrounded by relatives at his care home, his family said.

He became a Labour peer in 2010 after serving for four decades as an MP for Hull.

In a statement released after his death, his wife Pauline and sons Johnathan and David said that representing the people of the city 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.”

Tributes were paid from across the political spectrum, including from former US vice president Al Gore, who said he had “never worked with anyone in politics — on my side of the pond or his — quite like John Prescott”.

In a statement, he said: “He possessed an inherent ability to connect with people about the issues that mattered to them — a talent that others spend years studying and cultivating, but that was second nature to him.

“He fought like hell to negotiate the Kyoto Protocol and was an unwavering champion of climate action for decades to come. I’m forever grateful to John for that commitment to solving the climate crisis and will miss him as a dear friend.”