Brandishing a pork pie on a silver tray, John Prescott stood on the stage throughout his 1995 Labour convention speech and bellowed: “Lies, lies! Porky pies!”
It was the defining second of my stormy 40-year relationship with the flamable, irascible former Cunard steward who turned Britain’s longest-serving deputy prime minister.
The article of his anger was my entrance web page splash in that day’s Day by day Specific underneath the headline: “Prescott fury at new snub. Blair deputy is passed over for radio interview.”
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The story started: “John Prescott was ‘spitting blood’ final evening at one other humiliating snub by Tony Blair and his inside circle.
“The Labour deputy was said to be furious that Mr Blair’s friend Peter Mandelson will appear in a major end-of-conference BBC interview instead of him.”
The earlier night, with two Day by day Specific colleagues I would dined at Brighton’s English’s seafood restaurant with Blair ally Jack Straw, then shadow dwelling secretary.
I would solely filed about half a dozen paragraphs, however the workplace referred to as and demanded extra copy, as they needed to splash the story. So I phoned one other 10 paragraphs from English’s – again when journalists spoke their articles down the telephone to a copytaker.
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The articles Jon Craig wrote about Mr Prescott
Mr Straw got here to me the following day and stated individuals who’d seen us eating thought he was the supply. He wasn’t, I reassured him! It was a Labour MP who was an in depth ally of Mr Prescott.
In his convention speech, Mr Prescott tried to summon me to the stage to be offered with the pork pie. I resisted the temptation. However he wasn’t completed.
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Mr Prescott leaving Hull’s Labour Social gathering workplace. Pic: Rui Vieira/PA
Within the subsequent day’s Day by day Specific, underneath the headline “That’s pie in the sky, John”, I wrote: “First let me declare an interest. I am a fan of Labour deputy leader John Prescott.
“Over time, he has shouted at me, sworn at me and as soon as poked me within the chest within the committee hall of the Commons.”
Right up to his sad death, I remained a fan. And the last time we met, in the House of Lords when his health was deteriorating, he said to me: “You all the time inform it like it’s, Jon.”
Somewhat startled, I replied: “You did not all the time say that, John!” However clearly the outdated warhorse had mellowed in outdated age and was ready to forgive if not overlook.
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Tributes paid to Lord Prescott
Usually driving considered one of his legendary “two Jags”, he’d start by berating me and complaining about “your f***ing paper” earlier than ultimately saying: “What do you want to know.”
When Bryan Gould resigned from John Smith’s shadow cupboard in 1992 over a left-right coverage conflict, I requested Mr Prescott if he too was planning to resign.
“Don’t be daft!” he replied bluntly. He could have been outspoken and combative. However he was additionally a pragmatist, as he was to show in his 10 years as deputy prime minister.
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Mr Prescott with considered one of his Jags. Pic: Clive Limpkin/Day by day Mail/Shutterstock
After his defeat, I requested him – not unreasonably, I believed – if he was going to retire now. “Retire? Retire!” he shouted at me. However he later did, when his well being started to fail.
I used to be heartened when he spoke to me in pleasant phrases the final time we met. Not like some senior politicians, he wasn’t one to bear grudges, in any case.
And what turned of the pork pie? I took it again to the Specific workplace and offered it to a quite bemused Sir Nicholas Lloyd, the editor. We did not eat it, although.
The pie, in any case, had legendary standing. Like John Prescott did.
We’ll by no means see his like once more.
