Former deputy PM Lord John Prescott dies aged 86

He was Britain's longest serving deputy prime minister

In a statement confirming his death, his wife and two son's said he had ben living with Alzheimer's in a care home in recent times.

The family said: “We are deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved husband, father and grandfather, John Prescott, has passed away peacefully at the age of 86."

They went on to say that he died surrounded by loved ones and the jazz music of Marian Montgomery.

Lord Prescott served as deputy PM to Blair for 10 years following Labour's landslide election win in 1997, the longest anyone has held the position.

He was also the MP for Kingston upon Hull East from 1970 to 2010.

The family statement continued: “John spent his life trying to improve the lives of others, fighting for social justice and protecting the environment, doing so from his time as a waiter on the cruise liners to becoming Britain’s longest serving deputy prime minister.

“John dearly loved his home of Hull and representing its people in Parliament for 40 years was his greatest honour.”

Paying tribute to his long-serving deputy, Blair said in a statement: "Although we all knew that the end was approaching and was inevitable, I am devastated by John’s passing.

"He was one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics; one of the most committed and loyal; and definitely the most unusual."

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he was "deeply saddened" to learn of Lord Prescott's death, describing the politician as a "true giant of the Labour movement."

The PM continued: "He was a staunch defender of working people and a proud trade unionist. During a decade as Deputy Prime Minister, he was one of the key architects of a Labour Government that transformed the lives of millions of people across the nation."

Prescott was a key figure in the Labour governments from 1997 to 2010. He is often credited as being a power-broker who helped smooth the fractious relationship between Blair and Gordon Brown, and has been praised for helping transform the relationship between the party and the unions.

One of the Britain's most outspoken politicians, Prescott had some controversial moments. Perhaps his most infamous incident was when he punched a protestor who threw an egg at him during an election rally in 2001.