He couldn’t have been more different to Tony Blair, yet John Prescott ended up being our longest serving deputy prime minister. But is there a talent like him in Starmer’s cabinet? Asks William Atkinson As well as having a decent right hook,

John Prescott was an old-style political bruiser who played a vital role in the New Labour project. He scorned what he called "the beautiful people" - the men in smart suits with red roses and mobile phones who became the new face of Labour.

The Labour Party is fond of balance. When smooth, middle class barrister Tony Blair became its leader in 1994, plain-speaking, pugnacious, working class John Prescott was the perfect man to balance the ticket.