The former trade union activist died “peacefully” after a battle with Alzheimer's. He was a key figure of Tony Blair’s New Labour government.

The charismatic deputy prime minister, who has died at the age of 86, was known best for punching a member of the electorate and acting as a vital bridge for Tony Blair to reach the unions

John Prescott, Britain's longest-serving deputy prime minister who died on Wednesday, was indispensable to Tony Blair's New Labour government, a working-class trailblazer who connected with the public in ways most politicians cannot.