X-Nico

24 unusual facts about John Prescott


Academy of Light

Sunderland appealed, and following a public inquiry in September 1999, the Secretary of State for the Environment John Prescott overturned the ruling, stating that the benefits the Academy would bring to the community and region justified building on the green-belt.

Alastair Morton

In 1999, the British deputy prime minister John Prescott MP appointed Morton to the chairmanship of the British Railways Board and, once created from February 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority, from which he resigned in October 2001 in the aftermath of the collapse of Railtrack.

Andrew Climo

Following John Prescott's (then Deputy Prime Minister) policy to create directly elected English regional assemblies, Climo went on to edit The Case for Cornwall, again published by the Convention.

Baltic Exchange

What remained of Exchange Hall was completely razed in 1998 with the permission of the planning minister John Prescott, over the objections of architectural preservationists, including Save Britain's Heritage who sought a judicial review of his decision.

Chris Bolt

After Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott MP decided not to reappoint John Swift QC as Rail Regulator, Bolt was given a seven-month contract as Rail Regulator pending Prescott's decision on the full-term appointment of Tom Winsor from 5 July 1999.

Civil Contingencies Act 2004

In the wake of these three events, the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott, announced a formal review into emergency planning arrangements.

Danbert Nobacon

He gained notoriety and a great deal of press coverage by tipping an ice bucket over UK Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott at the 1998 BRIT Awards.

FV Gaul

This prompted UK Deputy Prime Minister (and Hull MP) John Prescott to ask the Marine Accident Investigation Branch of the Department for Transport to carry out extensive surveys of the wreck, which it did in 1998 and 2002.

Gerrards Cross Tunnel

Plans were initially met with anger by local residents, and the council refused planning permission but this decision was overturned by John Prescott.

Labour Co-ordinating Committee

Under Neil Kinnock's leadership the LCC became fully engaged in the struggle against Militant and the LCC was broadly supportive of the leadership, though it backed John Prescott's unsuccessful 1988 challenge to deputy leader Roy Hattersley.

Lyons Inquiry

Appointed jointly by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (Gordon Brown) and the Deputy Prime Minister (John Prescott) in the summer of 2004, Sir Michael Lyons produced several reports over the next 3 years, culminating in a final report on the future of local government published alongside the Chancellor's Budget in March 2007.

Matthew Grove

He is the first person to hold the post and was elected on 15 November 2012, and following a closely fought race with Labour's John Prescott.

Media Standards Trust

The campaign was directly supported by: Lord Fowler, Professor Onora O’Neill, Francis Wheen, Tom Watson MP, Dr Ben Goldacre, Baroness Helena Kennedy, Sir David Bell, DD Guttenplan, Professor Roy Greenslade, Professor Ian Hargreaves, John Lloyd, Isabel Hilton, Ian Jack, John Pilger, John Prescott, Richard Peppiatt, Andreas Whittam Smith and others.

Minister of State for Communities and Local Government

His selection was not without controversy, as some speculated that Tony Blair had wanted to give David Blunkett the position as a Secretary of State, but this was opposed by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott.

News Corporation takeover bid for BSkyB

It was in the wake of the Milly Dowler phone hacking allegations that a significant number of people, including former deputy prime minister John Prescott and other politicians, began to seriously question whether the takeover of BSkyB by News Corporation ought to be blocked.

News UK

The evidence uncovered by The Guardian apparently shows that many more figures were in fact the subject of phone-taps, including Nigella Lawson, Lenny Henry, Gwyneth Paltrow, John Prescott, Boris Johnson and Tessa Jowell.

Regional casino

The O2's casino site was involved in controversy after it was revealed that John Prescott had stayed at the ranch of Philip Anschutz, whose Anschutz Entertainment Group is involved in the reopening of the dome site as a sporting and entertainment venue.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

This post, within the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, was created in 2005, on the transfer of several of the functions of the then Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott.

Streetlife Museum of Transport

The roots of the collection date back to the early 20th century, however the purpose-built museum the collection is housed in was opened in 1989 by the then Hull East MP, John Prescott.

The Hive Stadium

Attempts to relocate either to Barnet Copthall or to the greenbelt site directly to the south of Underhill were both unsuccessful, with John Prescott over-ruling a move to Copthall in 2001 after planning permission was granted.

Tim Iredale

He covers the region which is home to some of the most familiar political heavyweights, including John Prescott, Alan Johnson and David Davis.

Tom Winsor

In July 1999, John Prescott MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and Deputy Prime Minister, appointed Winsor as Swift's successor as Rail Regulator and International Rail Regulator.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service

In June 2003, then Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott submitted a white paper to Parliament outlining reforms to the Fire Service in the UK.

Worker director

In 1997, John Prescott appointed a worker director overseeing some aspects of the now privatised industry.


Rail Regulator

Appointed by the Conservative Secretary of State for Transport, John MacGregor MP, Swift had little hope of being reappointed for a second five-year term by the new Labour party Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott MP.

TONY! The Blair Musical

It then returns to Blair's election victory in 1997, in which he waves to adoring crowds and congratulates deputy prime minister John Prescott and chancellor Gordon Brown on their success.