Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown delivered an emotional tribute at John Prescott’s funeral today, praising the former Deputy Prime Minister’s remarkable resilience in overcoming personal health challenges throughout his life.
The service drew more than 300 family members, friends and colleagues to pay their respects to the Labour veteran, who died aged 86 in November.
Speaking at Hull Minster, Brown highlighted how Prescott maintained his warmth and humour even while battling diabetes, bulimia and latterly Alzheimer’s disease.
He said: “Now let us be clear. John overcame every obstacle to become Deputy Prime Minister and to do what he achieved. He overcame diabetes, bulimia and laterally severe Alzheimer’s.
“But through it all, and when I talked to him over these last few months, he smiled and joked and thanked us for all that we had done.
“Always passionate about his principles, courageous about the causes he championed. Despite an outwardly deceptive image of uncompromising toughness he was incredibly generous.
“Always believing in the goodness of everyone. John wanted for everyone what he wanted for his own family. He wanted the good things in life for all of the people and not just some of the people, for the many.
“Without John, without the people he influenced. Without people like him, Britain might always have been doomed to be over hierarchical and differential country, and yes, a country of limitless talent, but still of limited opportunity.”
Without John, we could never have moved as far as we have to adjust an equal society. John showed us the Britain that we could be if given the chance to develop your potential and talents to the full.
“To Pauline, David, Jonathan and family. Thank you for sharing John with all of us for so many years. To John, we will remember the advice you gave in one of your final interviews. You said, be true to yourself. Do what you can do for the best and especially think of others.
“That’s our friend John. Unforgettable, John. We shall not see his like again.”
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