John Prescott’s death at 86 has sparked a discussion about the Labour titan’s storied career in politics, which was famously defined in its later years by the moment he punched a member of the public.
Mr Prescott’s family confirmed on social media this morning that the former MP and serving member of the House of Lords died after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. In a tearful statement posted to X, formerly Twitter, they remembered the former Labour deputy as a man who “spent his life trying to improve the lives of others”, adding that he died surrounded by loved ones while listening to “the jazz music of Marian Montgomery”.
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Sky News)
While the politician’s storied career has been widely celebrated in the hours since the news broke, it has also seen members of the public and media explore its more controversial side. Discussions of his time in government have centred on the infamous moment he punched a protester who threw an egg at him.
Mr Prescott, then the Labour deputy leader, had joined the Labour trail as the party vied for re-election in 2001 and was visiting Rhyl, in north Wales, to speak at a rally. He was captured on camera walking down a street in the Welsh town alongside a column of protesters who had turned out to dispute low local agricultural wages and Labour’s support of a fox hunting ban.
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PA)
Footage of the deputy PM being flanked by police as he walked down the street showed chaos erupt following an incident, with Mr Prescott seen locked in a scuffle with a member of the public with what appeared to be an egg smashed on his suit lapel. It later emerged that one of the protesters had thrown an egg at the politician, who responded by launching at him with a left-handed jab.
As the video continues, the deputy can be seen being walked away from the scene by police and other bystanders. The protester was later named as agricultural worker Craig Evans, and Mr Prescott argued that he had acted in self-defence when he threw the punch. Police did not take any further action.
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Press Association)
The politician said at the time: “I got off my bus into an already hostile crowd. I walked through all the jostling and I was attacked by an individual. In the melee that followed I clearly defended myself. I believe that someone is now being questioned by the police and it would be quite wrong of me to add any further comment.”
Ron Ingram, a farm labourer from Kinmel Bay, a village neighbouring Rhyl, recounted the incident, saying the politician “just turned around and thumped” the protester. He said: “Somebody threw an egg and Prescott just turned around and thumped them. I saw it. We were just protesting.
“The egg hit him and he hit out. There was pushing and shoving going on something terrible. It got quite nasty. We are just farmers and we are trying to earn a living. He wants to try living on £100 a week.” While shocking, the punch failed to sway public opinion against Labour, and polls later found that the public largely supported his reaction.
The incident also led to a famous quip from then-Prime Minister Tony Blair, who said after being questioned whether he would throw a punch in 2005: “No, but John is John and I’m lucky to have him as my deputy.”