{"id":18280,"date":"2024-11-22T13:07:36","date_gmt":"2024-11-22T13:07:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=18280"},"modified":"2024-11-22T13:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T13:07:36","slug":"the-prescott-punch-what-a-2001-brawl-between-a-deputy-prime-minister-and-a-voter-tells-us-about-the-changing-nature-of-british-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gpt.m2mbeta.com\/?p=18280","title":{"rendered":"The Prescott punch: what a 2001 brawl between a deputy prime minister and a voter tells us about the changing nature of British politics"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The warm tributes paid to John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister who has died aged 86, reflect a memorable politician of a seemingly bygone era. While his achievements over a long career were vast<\/a>, the enduring image for most people is of Prescott punching a voter during the 2001 general election campaign. <\/p>\n

On a visit to Rhyl in north Wales, Prescott was hit by an egg thrown by a local man and responded with a left hook. The altercation descended in to a full-blown brawl in the street, all caught on camera. Prescott later joked that he told Tony Blair he had been \u201cconnecting with the public\u201d that day.<\/p>\n\n

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New Labour election campaigns were tightly choreographed affairs. The media was managed assiduously and politicians were ruthlessly kept on-message. You\u2019d have thought that thumping a voter in the face on live television might have derailed the campaign, but Blair was able to brush it off the next day with a simple, \u201cWell, John is John\u201d. Prescott faced no criminal or political repercussions. He didn\u2019t even come close to losing his job. <\/p>\n

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