The Passing of a Political Giant

LCA’s Jane Groom remembers her time working for former Labour Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott

Irrepressible, tenacious, visionary, proud, straight talking and sometimes unpredictable – John Prescott was one of the most authentic and genuine people I have ever known. He was a formidable force and his legacy lives on internationally, nationally and of course here in London.

Hearing the sad news this morning that John Prescott had passed brought back many memories. I worked closely with Prescott for many years when he was Deputy Prime Minister – or DPM as we used to call him. From the moment he stepped into his new super department (Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions) after Labour’s victory in 1997, his energy was palpable; he was a politician who wanted to get things done and he was prepared to use his authority and weight to do it.

On the international stage he was a great negotiator- he played a major role in the Kyoto Protocol negotiations where he literally dragged leaders into a room and banged heads together to get a deal.

He was a big advocate for regional devolution in England – quite simply, without his clout, the legislation that created the GLA and Mayor of London following the ‘yes’ vote in the 1998 referendum would never have happened. Whitehall giving up power is a rare thing – and it takes big beasts like Prescott to make it happen. 

He was instrumental in changing the route of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) – what we now call HS1 – because he saw clearly how it would spearhead regeneration in East London, with the new line approaching the capital from the east into St Pancras. I vividly remember being with him for the media opportunity when they broke though the two ends of the tunnel and still have a piece of tunnel rock today.

In 2007, having recently joined LCA, we were charged with organising the Royal Opening of HS1 at St Pancras with The Queen, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and many other dignitaries. To this day, whenever passing through the amazing cathedral that is St Pancras International, I think of John. From beginning to end, the project faced enormous challenges – without his sheer force of personality and determination, it could have floundered. I hope Prescott felt proud that so much of this achievement was down to him.

Prescott never forgot his roots – he was proud of where he came from, but he also understood and cared passionately about improving the quality of life for ordinary people. It was little surprise, therefore, that he strove to raise the quality of the nation’s social housing stock to give people a decent home in which to live.

Above all Prescott had the common touch and the ability to connect; he was so well known that wherever he went he was recognised and approached by people on the street; just walking down the road with him was quite an event! As many proud northerners do, he called a ‘spade a spade’ – his rhetoric was passionate, genuine and impactful; people believed him, his authenticity resonated, he was a man of his word.

Prescott inspired great loyalty amongst those who worked for him. He was a larger-than-life character who was colourful and passionate about the causes he believed in. This morning so many old colleagues and friends have reached out to share memories; you don’t forget working for Prescott and life was never dull!.

Ultimately, he was a conviction politician who remained true to what motivated him to enter politics in the first place. I believe he made a big impact across so many areas – here in London we can point to many lasting legacies across the city which are down to him.

I only hope he was able to recognise and appreciate the scale of what he achieved as, despite all his external bluster, he often lacked confidence in his own abilities.

There was a phrase that was used in government when Prescott did things unexpectedly – ‘John is John’. But I often wish there were more Johns in politics now. Yes, he had his failings just as we all do, but he was a political giant who will be greatly missed.