John Prescott – the glue that held New Labour together in more ways than one

By Thomas Caygill, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Nottingham Trent University

Although it is a cliche to call someone a giant of their profession, it is an apt description of Lord John Prescott, who has died at the age of 86. He was a giant of the Labour movement who played a vital role in supporting Tony Blair in leading the party into government after 18 years in opposition. As Blair has said in his own tribute, “it is no exaggeration to say the Labour Party could never have won three consecutive full terms without John”.

Prescott was an MP for 40 years and subsequently a member of the House of Lords for a further 14. Despite suggesting that he had no desire…

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