Who is John Prescott? Former deputy PM and Labour veteran who has suffered a stroke
LORD Prescott recently suffered a stroke, and is currently in hospital.
Here’s all you need to know about the former Deputy Prime Minister.
Who is John Prescott?
John Prescott, 81, is a British Politician who was Deputy PM to Tony Blair for more than a decade.
He was born to a Labour Party councillor in Prestatyn, Wales in 1938 and spent his childhood in Yorkshire and then Cheshire.
After school he became as steward in the Merchant Navy working for Cunard and became a popular figure in union activism.
He then went to university obtaining a degree in Economics from the University of Hull.
In 1970 he became MP for Hull East, a seat he would hold for four decades.
Prescott became deputy leader of Labour in 1994 when Tony Blair took the reigns of the party.
Following the election victory in 1997 he served as the deputy PM for ten years.
He announced his resignation from the post within half an hour of Blair revealing the date of his resignation would be 10 May 2007.
Prescott became Baron Prescott, of Kingston Upon Hull in 2010.
He has made several programmes for TV.
Who is his wife Pauline?
John Prescott married his wife Pauline in Upton, Cheshire in 1961.
The couple have two sons, David who is active in Labour party politics and widely tipped to become an MP and Johnathan who is a businessman.
In 2006 Prescott admitted to having an affair with his secretary between 2002 and 2004 during his tenure as Deputy PM.
In 2010 Pauline released a memoir titled Smile Though Your Heart is Breaking where she discussed the affair.
Did Lord Prescott have a stroke?
He was rushed to hospital after suffering a stroke on Friday June 21, 2019.
His family confirmed in a statement released today that he remains in hospital.
They said: “John was taken to hospital last Friday after suffering a stroke.
“We would like to praise the swift actions of the ambulance staff and the doctors and nurses at Hull Royal Infirmary’s A&E and stroke unit.
“They have been remarkable and we cannot thank them enough.
“He is receiving excellent care from the NHS but we would respectfully request at this time that John and our family are given the privacy we need so that he can have the time and space to make a full recovery.
“Thank you.”
When did he punch an egg throwing protester?
On May 16 2001 Prescott punched a protester in Rhyl, north Wales after he flung an egg at him.
The then deputy prime minister hit Craig Evans in the face after the 31-year-old threw the projectile while he was on a visit to the town.
No action was taken against either of the men although both were questioned by police.
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The politician later joked about the incident quipping: “There was only one punch.
“Tony Blair rang me and he said ‘Are you OK?’ and I said ‘Yes’, and he said ‘Well, what happened?’ and I said ‘I was just carrying out your orders. You told us to connect with the electorate, so I did.'”
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