Protesters punch Two Jags

Former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott old died His family announced that he was 86 years old after his battle with Alzheimer’s.

Lord Prescott was an important figure. Sir Tony Blair‘s New Labor Party supported the project, and the former prime minister said it “will rightly have a special place in the pantheon of Labor leadership”.

Gordon Brown he also praised Prescott as “a true giant of the Labor movement” and one of the “key architects” of the last Labor government.

This remarkable figure attracted much attention and controversy during his time in politics; Here are some of his most memorable moments:

‘Two Jags’ Prescott

Prescott earned the nickname “two Jags” after it was revealed that he drove two Jaguar cars, one his own and the other a ministerial car.

His preference for these cars came to attention when, during the Labor Party conference in Bournemouth in 1999, he drove the 250 meters from his hotel to the conference center using his ministerial car.

When he arrived at the venue, the then-transportation secretary gave a speech urging drivers to use public transportation to reduce their emissions.

He later claimed that he went on this short trip because he did not like his wife’s hair flying on the seashore.

Don’t write Times In 2021, Prescott announced that he had since decided to make his “own small contribution to reducing carbon emissions.”

“I’m a zero Jag now; selling cars or eating fish and chips with a lower carbon footprint won’t alone save the planet, but as Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said, ‘Big actions are made up of small actions’.” wrote.

Protesters’ fists

During the 2001 election campaign, on his way to a Labor Party rally in Rhyl, North Wales, Prescott was struck by an egg thrown by a nearby protester.

Former amateur boxer Prescott responded by punching the man right in front of news cameras.

A brief scuffle broke out before the protesters were removed. He was part of a group demonstrating against low wages in agriculture and Labour’s support for a fox hunting ban.

Referencing his nickname “Two Jags”, Sun he called Prescott “Two Blows” in his report on the incident.

Asked about the matter at a press conference the next day, Blair said: “From John’s perspective, of course it would have been better if all this had not happened, but I want to tell you something about John Prescott.

“You cannot ask for a more loyal, more correct, more honest member of parliament. He cares about his country and cares passionately about its politics. But John is John.”

Chumbawamba ice bucket

In 1998, Prescott was sent to the Brit Awards as part of New Labour’s efforts to associate itself with the Cool Brittania era.

During the event, Danbert Nobacon, drummer for the anarchist band Chumbawamba, walked up to Prescott’s table and poured an ice bucket over his head.

Nobacon was captured by security and eventually handed over to the police, but no charges were brought in connection with the incident.

Prescott’s office said in a statement that Prescott thought it was “extremely despicable that his wife and other women were subjected to such horrific behavior.”

Chumbawamba said in a statement: “If John Prescott, as a representative of the government, has the courage to attend events like the Brit Awards to make Labor look cool and trendy, then he deserves everything we can throw at him.” .”

Gavin and Stacey guest star

In 2010, Prescott made a brief appearance in the third series of the hit TV show Gavin and Stacey.

It was a regular plot point that the character Nessa Jenkins, played by series co-creator Ruth Jones, had an affair with the former deputy prime minister.

When discussing the fictional event, he even said that he “used one of the Jags literally,” referencing his famous nickname.

In the episode featuring her wedding to Dave Coaches, played by Steffan Rhodri, Prescott is seen entering the venue.

She congratulates Dave on their marriage and he replies: “Cheers John, nice to see you.”

“I must say I thoroughly enjoyed my small role in Gavin And Stacey,” Prescott wrote on his blog at the time.

“I heard that there were constant jokes about me and the woman named Nessa in the series. “Ruth (Jones), who plays Nessa, got in touch and asked if I would be into sports and play a part.”

“As for Nessa, I think I have to admit that I lost to a better man.”

Confusing syntax

During his time in politics, the media frequently noted Prescott’s sometimes unconventional speaking style.

One of these famous “Prescotisms” occurred in 1998, where he reportedly said: “The Green Belt is a Labor achievement and we intend to build on it.”

There were also oft-repeated but unsubstantiated claims that before joining Hansard, the body that records what is said in Parliament, applicants were asked to listen to Prescott’s speeches and write down what they believed he had said.

While serving as transport secretary, he once joked: “If current trends continue, we’ll soon need a 150-lane-wide motorway between London and Leeds.”

In 1997, he also rejected critics of his working-class route, arguing that he had joined the middle class. It was learned that he said: “I don’t keep coal in the bathroom anymore. “I keep it in the bidet.”

Other famous verbal jabs include claiming it was “wonderful to come back to the terracotta” after a flight and claiming that John Major’s ailing government was “falling apart between our eyes”.

Prescott often made light of his sometimes confusing speaking style, and in 2011 he famously read complex shipping forecasts with the help of Comic Relief.

Tracey Temple affair

In 2006, reports emerged that Prescott had a two-year affair with assistant Tracey Temple, who is 24 years his junior.

The affair was said to have begun after an office party, and Prescott faced additional criticism after it was revealed that the couple had met at a taxpayer-paid bounty flat.

He rejected calls to resign over the incident but said: Daily Mirror at the time: “I had a relationship with him that I regret. It ended a while ago. I discussed this issue in detail with my wife Pauline, who was devastated by the news.

“I would be grateful if Pauline and I could now continue our lives together.”

Speaking at the Labor Party conference in Manchester the same year, he apologized for the damage caused by the scandal, saying: “I know I let myself down last year, and I let you down too. So, at the Conference, I just want to apologize.”

He discussed the incident in 2012 while promoting his memoirs, claiming that his wife Pauline had dissuaded him from resigning from the government.

“I thought I would probably have to resign. “I brought shame to the family,” he said.

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Fight bulimia

In 2008, Prescott received praise from eating disorder charities after revealing that she had struggled with bulimia for two decades.

He revealed that while he was deputy prime minister and MP for Hull East, he often turned to food to cope with the stress of political life.

writing for Sunday Times He said in 2008: “I’m sure it’s stress-related. “I didn’t always do this, there would be breaks for weeks or months, but in those years when we first came to power, I let things get to me and took refuge in stuffing my face.”

He added: “I’ve never confessed before. Out of embarrassment, I guess, or embarrassment, or just because it’s so weird for someone like me to confess. People normally associate it with young women, anorexic girls, models trying to maintain their weight, or women in stressful situations like Princess Diana.

His wife Pauline encouraged him to see a doctor when he realized he was suffering from bulimia, and he claimed he felt like a “complete idiot” seeking treatment.

“I was the only man there. I felt a twerp on the right. “Luckily, none of them sold me out to the press,” he said.