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Watch: Six of the best Prezza moments

Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

RIP John Prescott. The Labour heavyweight kept much of Fleet Street in business throughout the noughties, indulging in various antics that inspired endless tabloid headlines. ‘Two Jags’, ‘two jabs’, ‘two shags’ and even ‘two lavs’ were some of the nicknames bestowed upon him – with the latter being a reference to the multiple toilet seats he claimed on parliamentary expenses. A true working class socialist, caught in an age of 24/7 media, Prezza delighted the cameras throughout his time in office. Below are six of John Prescott’s best moments, caught on camera for all to enjoy…

Punching a protester

We start with the most famous moment of all: the political equivalent to Sonny Liston on the canvas. In the 2001 election, Prezza was campaigning in Wales when a pro-hunting protester threw an egg at him. The Deputy Prime Minister, a former boxing champ, responded in the only way he knew how: with a straight left hook. As he later told a despairing Tony Blair: ‘I was just carrying out your orders. You told us to connect with the electorate – so I did.’

Downing pints

On the campaign trail for the party leadership in 1994, he lived up to his man of the people reputation by downing a pint in five seconds while visiting a working men’s club. He lost to Tony Blair but later won the hearts of Twitter. Let’s see Angela Rayner try and do that eh?

Defending motorway changes

Back in 2011, Prezza went forth into the belly of the beast – otherwise known as the Top Gear studios. Facing off against his old foe, petrolhead Jeremy Clarkson, the-then Lord Prescott gave as good as he got, standing, like Maximus in Gladiator, to take the applause of the crowd.

Talking jazz with Ken Clarke

A throwback to 1989 when Prescott, then serving as Shadow Health Secretary, discussed his love of jazz with his opposite number Ken Clarke in Ronnie Scott’s. Brought together by ITN, Prescott began the news package in his usual combative form.’You closed any more hospitals?’ he jibed. ‘Not in your patch – but good to see you on neutral ground’, retorted Clarke. Two jazz anyone?

Jibing with William Hague

One of the all-time great sessions of Prime Ministers’ Questions came in 2006 when John Prescott faced off against William Hague. The session began in style when Prezza welcomed his return to the despatch box by joking that ‘the Tories are so green they are recycling their leaders.’ From there it only escalated.

‘There was so little English in that answer that President Chirac would have been happy with it’ joked Hague. ‘If it comes to getting my words wrong or getting my judgement wrong, I’d sooner have my problem – not his’, replied Prescott. As the Conservative peer reflected today: ‘Think he won that one.’

Guest star on Gavin and Stacey

A long-running storyline in the popular BBC involved Ruth Jones’s character regularly alluding to the Labour figure being an ex-lover, once expressing regret that he was not the father of her baby. So it was only natural then that Lord Prescott made his appearance in the last episode of the third series as a guest at Nessa’s wedding as she prepared to marry fiancé Dave Coaches.

Well, they do say politics is showbiz for ugly people…

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Steerpike is The Spectator's gossip columnist, serving up the latest tittle tattle from Westminster and beyond. Email tips to steerpike@spectator.co.uk or message @MrSteerpike

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