The prominent politician Lord John Prescott is best known for holding the position of Deputy Prime Minister under the Labour party for a decade. Prescott’s longstanding career in politics as a passionate and successful MP began in 1970 when he represented Hull East as the Labour member of parliament, a position he held until 2007. Following his significant contribution to British politics, he became a member of the House of Lords as a life peer.

As part of his role as Deputy Prime Minister, Prescott headed up the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions, a role in which he achieved a considerable number of achievements, including the handling of successful negotiations on the ground-breaking international Kyoto Protocol treaty. Known by many as the man that brought Labour back into power, this later led to his appointment as personal advisor to former Labour leader Ed Miliband.

Following his career in politics, Prescott has since acted as the UK’s representative in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, an international organisation that holds sessions debating human rights issues, democratic standards, fresh ideas and international reforms. As a renowned public figure, Prescott has made several notable TV appearances, including a BBC two-part documentary that examines the class system in Britain. In 2008 Prescott also released his autobiography Prezza, My Story: Pulling No Punches, a revealing page-turner that charters his remarkable journey to becoming Britain’s longest-standing Deputy Prime Minister.