I am delighted to see that, since his death last year, John Prescott has been reclaimed as a national treasure, whereas, when he was an MP, he was usually portrayed by most of our media as a grumpy “bulldog who swallowed a wasp”.
I was fortunate enough to travel with John on his “Get Ready” battlebus at two general elections, MC-ing his rallies, mostly in old Labour constituencies.
John was a warm, hilarious and inspiring speaker, and delighted the crowds with indiscreet tales of opponents, and of the workings and skullduggery at the House of Commons. He was as good as any northern comic, and every day felt like a party when John was around.
His contribution to Labour’s successes in the Blair years (to my mind, still undervalued by the media) was enormous.
