Former Prime Minister Tony Blair reminisced about the time his former Deputy John Prescott punched a protestor – in a tribute after he died today aged 86 following his battle with Alzheimer’s.
During the 2001 General Election campaign trail, Lord Prescott hit the headlines after throwing a left-handed punch at a man who threw an egg at him. Following the incident in Rhyl, North Wales, the ex-merchant seaman earned the nickname “two jabs” – a variation on the “two Jags” he was called for his fondness for luxury cars.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme today, Sir Tony told that they “had a lot of really funny times” with his deputy, adding “he could be a very amusing guy”.
Clearly emotional, he said: “I was just thinking this morning about the the time when in the 2001 election – remember when someone smashed an egg on his head and he turned around and he punched the guy and laid him out?
“This caused a huge sort of fracas, this was an immense media story, and we had to give a press conference in the election campaign the next day. And some people were saying, ‘Well, look, he’s deputy prime minister, you can’t have a deputy prime minister thumping a voter.’
“And other people said … ‘he had this egg slammed in his head, and he turned around and and whacked the guy, and a lot of people think, Well, fair enough.’ And so there was nothing you could do. So we had a long debate about it and finally, at the press conference, when I was asked about it, I just said, ‘Well, John is John.’
“And so was that supposed to be an answer? I said, ‘Yes, that’s an answer.’ That’s as much as you can say, and that’s what he was like, there were no rules that he really abided by. I feel a huge sense of loss, because it wasn’t just a political relationship. I had a profound affection for him.”
The punch occurred when Lord Prescott had just stepped off his campaign bus, the Prescott Express, to speak at a Labour rally. He was struck with an egg which covered his suit as he walked past a line of protestors, resulting in Lord Prescott turning and punching the protestor, sparking a brawl.
Police officers intervened and 29-year-old Craig Evans, a farm worker from Denbigh, was taken away in handcuffs.
Lord Prescott said at the time: “I was attacked by an individual. In the melee that followed I clearly defended myself.”
Police interviewed Lord Prescott but he was not prosecuted. The Crown Prosecution Service concluded there was no realistic chance of convicting him because he had acted in self-defence. Mr Evans spent several hours in police custody but no action was taken against him either.
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