LABOUR Party legend John Prescott will be remembered as a “working man’s politician,” plain speaking, pugnacious and in touch with the lives or ordinary people.

That was the view expressed by the former Deputy Prime Minister’s long-time colleague and political ally Sir Tony Cunningham, who regularly worked with him as he served as MP for Workington between 2001 and 2015.

Following the announcement of Mr Prescott’s death at the age of 86, Sir Tony shared some of his fond memories of the man.

“John was always rough and ready, a working’s man’s Labour politician, and a tough guy,” said Sir Tony. “He also had a great love of Cumbria and the Lakes and the mountains.

"He came to Cumbria regularly.

“From my own experience, I knew that if or my colleague Jack Cunningham needed support for some enterprise and we went to John for support, the fact that it was Cumbria meant we had a better chance of success.”

With his working class roots, and experience of working in the Merchant Navy, John Prescott knew the reality of a tough working class life, said Sir Tony.

It inevitably affected the kind of politics he pursued.

Sir Tony (pictured) said: "He was your typical, working-class man.(Image: News & Star)

“That was one of the reasons that he always wanted the best for working people. He spent time in the Merchant Navy, doing menial jobs. In his politics, he was very big of minimum wage and issues like that.

“It's rare to have a national politician who has that kind of experience of every day working class life and it’s incredibly valuable.”

Commentators today remarked on how Prescott bridged the gap between the older style Labour MPs and those who rose to prominence under New Labour.

Recognised as a political "bruiser", never afraid to speak his mind, he became an important part of modernising the Labour Party, paving the way for what became a stunning period of electoral success following Tony Blair’s landslide victory in 1997.

A former trade union activist, he served as the MP for Kingston upon Hull East for 40 years, becoming a key figure in Tony Blair’s administration.

He became Britain’s longest-serving Deputy Prime Minister.

Perhaps the most famous illustration of his feisty nature came during a political rally at Rhyll in 2001, when a protestor threw an egg at Mr Prescott’s head from close range.

The politician reacted immediately, throwing what he later described as "an instinctive boxer's jab with the left fist".

Though he regretted his actions, given his senior role in government, he later told Tony Blair: “But I am also an ordinary bloke, and an ordinary bloke would react as I did."

In his autobiography, Pulling No Punches, Lord Prescott described his father as an "old-fashioned socialist" who believed in fairness and equality".(Image: (Michael Crabtree/PA))

In a statement today, his family said he had “spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment". Lord Prescott died peacefully, surrounded by relatives at his care home on 20 November.

The family statement added: “We would like to thank the amazing NHS doctors and nurses who cared for him after his stroke in 2019 and the dedicated staff at the care home where he passed away after latterly living with Alzheimer's.”