John Prescott: A politician who packs a punch

Jul 4 2008 by Peter Elson, Liverpool Daily Post

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott (158) (copy)

When I like something, I don’t know when to stop

IN SPITE of John Prescott’s tirades about his press treatment, he chose one of Britain’s foremost journalists, Hunter Davies, to ghost-write his autobiography.

Davis says he was chosen because Prescott liked his work on a rather different autobiography, that of the troubled footballer Paul Gascoigne.

One of the most astonishing revelations in Prescott’s book was that of his bulimia. Davis recalls: “The bulimia story came out by chance – I don’t think he really intended to tell me.

“I had finished the bulk of the book and went to Hull to sort through his photographs. Pauline made us a lovely lunch, which started with salmon and a hollandaise sauce.

“Through each course, John continued eyeing up the hollandaise sauce, in a large sauce boat.

“When we’d finished, he went back to the sauce – and scoffed the lot. How disgusting, I chided. What an insult to Pauline’s cooking! He just smiled, muttering something about doing worse things. He explained that when he likes something he doesn’t know when to stop.

“He can finish a whole packet of digestives or drink a tin of evaporated milk. Then it all came out about his bulimia and the treatment.

“How Prezza feels is real and human. His emotions and thoughts and opinions are not from a think tank or focus group, which is what will shape all politicians in the future.

“They won’t have had real jobs or experiences, as he had as a ship’s steward. It’s hard to see anyone from his background, or with his character, rising as high in politics ever again. So, as he says, where will the awkward buggers come from in future?”