John Prescott was a larger than life politician. Love him or loathe him, he had an effective way of communicating with the electorate. It is what made him such a valuable asset to the previous Labour Government.

As former US vice president Al Gore, who worked with Lord Prescott on the Kyoto Protocol climate change agreement in 1997, said “he possessed an inherent ability to connect with people about the issues that mattered to them”.

In an era of carefully managed media messages and sharp suits, he brought a more grounded approach to politics. His heavy Yorkshire accent and broad shoulders made him stand out in the sea of management-speak. He was a titan of Westminster politics.

It’s why Former PM Tony Blair said there was “no one quite like him in British politics”.

John Prescott at the opening of the Bankside Pier in Southwark, south London, in 1998. PIC: Michael Crabtree/PA Wire

placeholder image — John Prescott at the opening of the Bankside Pier in Southwark, south London, in 1998. PIC: Michael Crabtree/PA Wire

Everyone has a story to share about the former Deputy Prime Minister. He was known to call the newsroom of The Yorkshire Post and give whoever was on the news desk a ticking off if he wasn’t able to obtain the latest copy of the newspaper.

Lord Prescott could be pugnacious but he also had a great sense of humour. There was the incident of him taking a swing at a protester who threw an egg at him while he was Deputy PM.

He brushed off what could have been a hugely damaging incident for any other politician by saying he was simply trying to connect with the electorate.

He was ennobled in 2010 and introduced to the upper chamber as Baron Prescott of Kingston upon Hull having served for four decades as an MP for the city.

But beyond the larger than life character was a shrewd politician. His instincts were second to none and he became the glue that held the Labour party together during the Blair-Brown years.