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. Farewell to a Labour giant

    An old photo of Prescott gesturing with his hand as he speaks at a lectern in front of the Labour Party logo. He stands behind a lectern, his left hand raised. He's in a dark suit with a red tie and white shirt, a purple screen behind him with the words Labour and a red rose blurred on the wallPA Media

    Upon the news of John Prescott's death last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer led MPs in paying tribute to him as "a true giant of the Labour movement".

    Today, Prescott's life and legacy are being celebrated in Hull, where he served as an MP for nearly 40 years.

    Senior government figures are expected to attend the funeral service at Hull Minster. They will begin arriving mid-morning, with the service starting at 12:00 GMT.

    We will bring you live text updates throughout the day, and you can also watch the service by clicking the Watch live button at the top of this page.