John Prescott

**John Leslie Prescott, Baron Prescott** (31 May 1938 – 20 November 2024) was a British Labour politician. He was born in Prestatyn, Wales. He grew up in Brinsworth, Yorkshire and Upton by Chester. He served as Deputy Prime Minister when Tony Blair was Prime Minister. He started out as a shop worker and was often considered to be the "most working class member of the Labour cabinet". Whilst campaigning for the 2001 election, he punched a man who threw an egg at him. He has diabetes mellitus type 2 and had bulimia nervosa throughout his political career.

Prescott died on 20 November 2024 from problems caused by Alzheimer's disease, aged 86.

## Other websites

- john-prescott.labourhome.org  – Prescott's political blog
- – profile at 10 Downing Street website
- John Prescott BBC Profile

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **honorific-prefix**: The Right Honourable
- **name**: The Lord Prescott
- **image**: John Prescott official portrait (cropped).jpg
- **office**: Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
- **primeminister**: Tony Blair
- **term start**: 2 May 1997
- **term end**: 27 June 2007
- **predecessor**: Michael Heseltine
- **successor**: Nick Clegg
- **office1**: First Secretary of State
- **primeminister1**: Tony Blair
- **term start1**: 8 June 2001
- **term end1**: 27 June 2007
- **predecessor1**: Michael Heseltine
- **successor1**: Peter Mandelson, The Lord Mandelson
- **office2**: Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions
- **primeminister2**: Tony Blair
- **term start2**: 2 May 1997
- **term end2**: 8 June 2001
- **predecessor2**: John Gummer
Sir George Young, 6th Baronet, George Young
- **successor2**: Margaret Beckett
Stephen Byers
- **office3**: Deputy Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Deputy Leader of the Labour Party
- **leader3**: Tony Blair
- **term start3**: 21 July 1994
- **term end3**: 24 June 2007
- **predecessor3**: Margaret Beckett
- **successor3**: Harriet Harman
- **office4**: Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Shadow Secretary of State for Employment
- **leader4**: John Smith (Labour Party leader), John Smith
Margaret Beckett
- **term start4**: 21 October 1993
- **term end4**: 21 July 1994
- **1blankname4**: Shadowing
- **1namedata4**: David Hunt, Baron Hunt of Wirral, David Hunt
Michael Portillo
- **predecessor4**: Frank Dobson
- **successor4**: Harriet Harman
- **leader5**: Neil Kinnock
- **term start5**: 26 October 1984
- **term end5**: 13 July 1987
- **1blankname5**: Shadowing
- **1namedata5**: Tom King, Baron King of Bridgwater, Tom King
David Young, Baron Young of Graffham, Lord Young of Graffham
Norman Fowler
- **predecessor5**: John Smith (Labour Party leader), John Smith
- **successor5**: Michael Meacher
- **office6**: Shadow Secretary of State for Transport
- **leader6**: Neil Kinnock
John Smith (Labour Party leader), John Smith
- **term start6**: 23 November 1988
- **term end6**: 21 October 1993
- **1blankname6**: Shadowing
- **1namedata6**: Paul Channon
Cecil Parkinson
Malcolm Rifkind
John MacGregor, Baron MacGregor of Pulham Market, John MacGregor
- **predecessor6**: Robert Hughes, Baron Hughes of Woodside, Robert Hughes
- **successor6**: Frank Dobson
- **leader7**: Neil Kinnock
- **term start7**: 31 October 1983
- **term end7**: 26 October 1984
- **predecessor7**: Albert Booth
- **successor7**: Gwyneth Dunwoody
- **office8**: Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Shadow Secretary of State for Energy
- **leader8**: Neil Kinnock
- **term start8**: 13 July 1987
- **term end8**: 23 November 1988
- **1blankname8**: Shadowing
- **1namedata8**: Cecil Parkinson
- **predecessor8**: Stanley Orme, Baron Orme, Stanley Orme
- **successor8**: Tony Blair
- **office9**: Member of Parliament (UK), Member of Parliament
for Kingston upon Hull East (UK Parliament constituency), Hull East
- **term start9**: 19 June 1970
- **term end9**: 12 April 2010
- **predecessor9**: Harry Pursey
- **successor9**: Karl Turner (British politician), Karl Turner
- **office11**: Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
- **term start11**: 8 July 2010
- **term end11**: 9 July 2024
<small>Life peer, Life Peerage</small>
- **birth name**: John Leslie Prescott
- **birth place**: Prestatyn, Flintshire (historic), Flintshire, Wales
- **party**: Labour Party (UK), Labour
- **children**: 2
- **education**: Ruskin College
- **alma mater**: University of Hull
- **footnotes**: <small> a. Office vacant from 27 June 2007 to 11 May 2010.
b. Office vacant from 2 May 1997 to 8 June 2001.
c. Office vacant from 27 June 2007 to 5 June 2009. </small>