Tony Blair praises ‘extraordinary’ John Prescott at funeral

John Prescott’s achievements were “extraordinary”, said former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair at his funeral.

Delivering his eulogy at Hull Minster on Thursday, Sir Tony added that Lord Prescott was a “complicated man, wrestling frequently with the tangle of ambition and altruism”.

Also paying tribute, son, David Prescott, told the congregation of more than 300 invited guests: “He taught me the importance of lifting people up and not putting people down.”

The former deputy prime minister and Hull MP died on 20 November, aged 86, in a care home where he was living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Lord Prescott was deputy prime minister between 1997 and 2007.

Mr Prescott ended his eulogy with a quote from his father’s 1968 speech to the East Hull Labour Party when he ran to be selected as a candidate .

“Comrades I hope I can help,” it said, with Mr Prescott adding: “You did dad, you did.”

Sir Tony spoke warmly of Lord Prescott’s straight-talking manner, with the former prime minister often impersonating Lord Prescott’s working class bluster, to laughs from mourners.

He said Lord Prescott was a “good man” who became a “personal friend”.

“He possessed deep principles,” said Sir Tony. “But was also determined to make his mark.”

Sir Tony said Lord Prescott’s achievements were “extraordinary”.

“He was essential in designing the major constitutional reforms of our government, the Scottish parliament, the Welsh assembly and the first elected mayor of London.

“He pioneered the idea of an integrated transport system. Throw him a problem and he would provide a solution.

“There is not one of us who thinks of John without a smile.”

There was laughter too when Sir Tony joked with the congregation about the “pandemonium” that ensued after “the punch” in the 2001 general election campaign.

He recalled ringing his deputy with reluctance and asking him to apologise.

Sir Tony said he got the reply: “The answer is no, I’m not bloody apologising and that’s the end of it.”

“Classic,” added Sir Tony, grinning.

Others paying their respects at the service included Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan.

Lord Prescott’s coffin was carried into the minster as former Downing Street director of communications Alastair Campbell played the Welsh national anthem on the bagpipes.

Brown paid tribute to Lord Prescott as a “working class hero” who “kept the show on the road during difficult times”.

He added: “For 60 years, this great city of Hull was his home. He served it with pride, passion and principle.

“We will never see his like again. A man of the people he certainly was. In a class by himself, a one-off, one of a kind, but one of us in the best sense of the word.”

The service, hosted by the Rev Canon Dr Dominic Black, included singing by the Choral-Hull children’s choir, made up from pupils across the city.

The vicar of Hull ended the service with a reading from the bible and the congregation recited the Lord’s Prayer as he delivered the final blessing over the coffin.

Dr Black then referenced the New Labour anthem “things can only get better”, but added “sadly not”, as he talked about how “troubling times are afoot in our world”.

But he ended with a poignant note that “there is hope, things can better”.

Lord Prescott was first elected as MP for Hull East in 1970 and went on to hold the seat for almost 40 years.

In lieu of flowers, the Prescott family requested donations for Alzheimer’s Research UK.