Summary

  • The funeral of John Prescott, former Labour deputy prime minister, has taken place at Hull Minster

  • Former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave a eulogy to his "personal friend" and "good man" Prescott, praising his "greatness of courage and character"

  • Gordon Brown also spoke, while Sir Keir Starmer gave a reading - other senior figures at the invitation-only service included Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan

  • Prescott was a major figure in Labour politics - a former trade union activist, he served in Blair's government for 10 years, and held his Kingston upon Hull East seat for almost 40 years

  • He died peacefully on 20 November, aged 86, at his care home where he had been living with Alzheimer's, his family said

Live Reporting

Edited by Jacqueline Howard and Rorey Bosotti, with Holly Phillips reporting from Hull Minster

  1. John Prescott's coffin is carried inside

    Coffin carried inside

    The pallbearers carry the coffin into the Minster to the sound of bagpipes played by former Labour spin doctor Alastair Campbell.

  2. The hearse carrying John Prescott arrives at Hull Minster

    Hearse arriving at church

    The funeral cortege arrives in the square outside Hull Minster.

    Floral tributes are being taken inside the church as the pallbearers prepare to move the coffin inside for the service.

    Hearse driving towards the entrance of Hull Minster, a member of the funeral home walking in front of the behicle

  3. Reverend waits for the hearse

    The Reverend waits in the street outside the venue

    The church bells are ringing. The Reverend Dominic Black waits for the hearse to arrive.

  4. Choir performs as final guests arrive

    School choir in red shirts holding music sheet perform insider Hull Minster

    A choir made up of Hull school children started performing Pie Jesu as guests take their seats ahead of the hearse's arrival.

  5. New Labour figures reunite for final tribute to Prescott

    With just minutes to go before the funeral starts, more New Labour figures - some of whom are serving in the current Labour government - have arrived at Hull Minster.

    Yvette Cooper and her husband and former Labour politician Ed Balls arriveGetty Images

    Yvette Cooper, the current Home Secretary, and her husband and former Labour politician Ed Balls arrive - both ministers in the New Labour government

    Former PM Gordon BrownGetty Images

    Former PM Gordon Brown

    David Lammy arrives wearing a smart black suit and coatGetty Images

    David Lammy, the current Foreign Secretary and a minister in the New Labour years, arrives

  6. Former PMs Tony Blair and Gordon Brown arrive at Hull Minster

    Tony Blair and Gordon Brown

    Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have now joined other senior Labour figures inside Hull Minster ahead of the service.

    The two former PMs will be delivering eulogies during the funeral.

    As a reminder, you can follow the service by clicking Watch Live at the top of this page.

  7. More political figures arrive

    Senior figures from across the current and previous Labour governments are still arriving at Hull Minster ahead of the funeral service:

    Alastair Campbell, wearing smart black clothing, walks as he approaches the ceremony outsidePA Media

    Alastair Campbell, as a press spokesperson and strategist, was key to rebranding Labour into New Labour

    Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle arrives wearing formal black clothingPA Media

    Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle

    Ed Miliband arrives, wearing formal black clothingPA Media

    Ed Miliband, currently energy secretary, also served as a minister alongside Prescott in the New Labour years

  8. 'Giant of a politician', Prescott's successor pays tribute to family friend

    Karl Turner MP wearing a dark suit, floral tie and red Labour rosette stands in front of a dark wooden wall in Hull's Guildhall

    Labour MP Karl Turner, who was elected to the Hull East seat after Prescott stood down in 2010, described him as a "giant of a politician".

    Turner's family were close friends of the Prescotts, and they often went on holidays together.

    "I remember John and my father having conversations in the kitchen, in our house or in John's house, where they would discuss the politics of the day," Turner said.

    "It was always about the people who he was representing.

    "It was the issues that were facing people, real people, that John was insistent on dealing with."

  9. Burnham, Benn and Khan are in attendance

    Over the past few minutes, we've also seen Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn and London Mayor Sadiq Khan all arrive at Hull Minster ahead of the funeral service.

    Burnham, wearing black, looks down as he walks past metal railings at the security checkpoint outside Hull MinsterBBC/ Emily Holt

    Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham

    Benn, in a black coat looks down as he walks to the leftPA Media

    Northern Ireland Secretary Hilary Benn

    Khan, wearing a black suit, looks to the leftPA Media

    Mayor of London Sadiq Khan

  10. 'We've come to wave goodbye'

    Holly Phillips
    Reporting from Hull

    A man in a black beanie and Mercedes-branded blue jacket smiles at the camera. A cyclist can be seen riding to his left, while a group of three women in black coats stands to his rightBBC/Holly Phillips

    Members of the public are lining the barriers outside of the Minster.

    I spoke to Brian May who came to pay his respects.

    He said: “We heard that Lord Prescott was having his burial today so we thought we’d come and wave goodbye.

    “I remember Lord Prescott when he was a steward on the ferries. He was just there for the people of Hull.”

  11. Starmer arrives

    Starmer in black suit walks out of car with securityPA Media

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer has just arrived at Hull Minster.

  12. Deputy PM Angela Rayner arrives at Minster

    Rayner, wearing all black, outside and arriving at the ceremonyPA Media

    Angela Rayner is now at Hull Minster, where the funeral service for her predecessor John Prescott is due to start at 12:00 GMT.

  13. Soap star says Prescott helped save her life

    Gemma Oaten at an awards ceremony wearing a purple dressPA Media

    Hull actress Gemma Oaten says John Prescott played a crucial role in helping her as she struggled to get treatment for an eating disorder.

    The Emmerdale star says she "wouldn't be here without him".

    "My mum and dad fought for years to get me the help I needed when I was struggling with an eating disorder, nobody was listening," she tells BBC Radio Humberside.

    Oaten adds: "It wasn't until my mum went and posted a note through his door. He set the ball rolling."

    She recalls bumping into him years later at the British Soap Awards: "I remember seeing him there and he was like 'you've done alright haven't you our kid'. It was just a really, really nice full circle moment.

    "I feel very honoured to be attending the funeral and remembering the life of someone who saved mine."

    In 2008, Prescott spoke about his own struggles with an eating disorder.

  14. John Prescott will be remembered as 'Mr Hull'

    Tim Iredale
    Political editor, East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

    On a cold clear day in Hull, people in this city are saying farewell to one of their own.

    Although he wasn’t born and bred in Hull, John Prescott will always be associated with the city he represented in Parliament for 40 years.

    While political leaders past and present gather inside Hull Minster, a crowd of well wishers remain outside sharing stories of the man known simply as “Prezza”.

    His political achievements are up for discussion, but to many people here this was someone they bumped into on the streets, in the fish and chip shop or at Hull Kingston Rovers - the team loved by rugby league fans in the east of this city.

    In short, he was something many politicians try - and often fail to be - a man of the people.

    Despite being ennobled, John Prescott will always be remembered as “Mr Hull” and Hull is saying a heartfelt goodbye.

  15. Labour MPs arrive at Hull Minster

    In a group of nine people wearing black walking along a footpath, Smith can be in front, with Miliband and Kyle chatting at the backPA Media

    We've just had images cross our desk of a group of Labour MPs arriving at Hull Minster for John Prescott's funeral.

    Member of the House of Lords Jacqui Smith, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle are among the group pictured above.

  16. Labour spin doctor recalls 'big shouting matches' with Prescott

    Alastair Campbell at an event in Northern Ireland in dark suit with a red lanyard around his neckReuters

    Alastair Campbell, former Labour head of communications in the Tony Blair government, says that Prescott had a combative personality.

    "The thing about John is he could be very explosive," he tells BBC Radio Humberside shortly before the funeral service.

    "You could have big shouting matches with him and then 10 minutes later, well, maybe not 10 minutes, maybe a couple of hours later you'd be back as friends."

    Campbell, who is now a writer and podcaster, says that Prescott was "sensitive about the way posh people looked down on him".

    "The two Jags," he says. "That was basically saying working class people shouldn't have nice cars, some didn't believe that.

    "John believed that working class people should have the same."

  17. Reverend saying hellos outside Hull Minster

    Emily Holt
    Reporting from Hull

    A reverend greets a group of three men outside Hull MinsterBBC/Emily Holt

    I've just spotted Reverend Dominic Black welcoming parts of the funeral party to Hull Minster.

    Rev Black will be officiating the service and will give a reading at the end before a Lord’s Prayer and formal commendation.

  18. Guests are starting to arrive

    Holly Phillips
    Reporting from Hull

    A small crowd of people, dressed in black, mill about in the paved area outside Hull MinsterBBC/Holly Phillips

    The funeral service is scheduled to begin soon.

    Groups of people are starting to arrive in drips and drabs and are entering through the front of Hull Minster.

    The area outside is getting busier and louder as guests chat amongst themselves.

  19. What to expect today

    The exterior of Hull Minster, a grand cathedralKevin Shoesmith/BBC

    The funeral service for John Prescott will be held at Hull Minster today at 12:00 GMT.

    The ceremony is invitation-only, with the first guests due to arrive from 10:30.

    It is expected that senior figures from across the current and previous Labour government will be in attendance.

    The service will be livestreamed and you can watch along by pressing Watch live at the top of this page.

  20. Labour veteran's career spanned decades

    Prescott and Blair smile as they look at a piece of paper on a sofaPA Media

    In a career that stretched back over half a century, John Prescott was first elected as MP for Kingston upon Hull East in 1970 and went on to hold the seat for almost 40 years.

    Prescott joined the shadow cabinet in 1983 with a responsibility for transport.

    Between 1997 and 2007, he was deputy to former Prime Minister Tony Blair and received a peerage in 2010.His retirement from the Commons, and break from frontline politics, did not last long as five years later he was advising Ed Miliband and, in 2017, supporting Jeremy Corbyn.

    Prescott ceased to be a member of the House of Lords in July of this year due to non-attendance, having only spoken once in the chamber since suffering a stroke in 2019. He had not voted since February 2023, according to official records.

    Born in Prestatyn, Wales, Prescott left school at 15 and worked as a steward in the Merchant Navy. He then studied at Ruskin College in Oxford, before entering politics.