'Prezza' - John Prescott

I'm reading Whatever It Takes by Steve Richards at the moment, which is an excellent account & examination of the New Labour years focusing on Gordon Brown. I'm also reading Tony Blair's autobiography, A Journey. Inevitably the subject of John Prescott comes up a lot in both. You could regard him as the third person in the Triumvirate, junior to Tony Blair & Gordon Brown but absolutely indispensable.

John Prescott was crucial to the New Labour project for two reasons. First, someone was needed who was sufficiently powerful to hold the ring between Gordon Brown & Tony Blair in their remarkably bad relationship, and to broker temporary truces when things went completely awry. Second, Tony Blair needed a person who could sell New Labour to the grass-roots of the Party, and reassure them because there was someone they trusted at the heart of both Government and the Party.

The one person who could do all this was John Prescott.

Being able to fulfil all of these functions at once is what gave Prezza his immense power in the New Labour Government, his heading of the vast super-Department of Transport, Environment & the Regions.

BUT .....

Prezza's position in the third Triumvir always reminds me of an exchange between Mark Antony & Octavian in Julius Caesar (4.1.11-40). The subject is Lepidus, their third Triumvir. It's worth quoting in full. Antony & Octavian, having seen off the conspirators who assassinated Caesar and taken power in Rome, are agreeing who is to be proscribed i.e. written on the list of who is to be executed as an enemy and political opponent. Lepidus was with them, but Antony has just sent him off on an errand. Antony starts talking about him:


Antony : This is a slight unmeritable man,
Meet to be sent on errands. Is it fit,
The three-fold world divided, he should stand
One of the three to share it ?


Octavian: So you thought him,
And took his voice who should be prick'd to die
In our black sentence and proscription.


Antony : Octavius, I have seen more days than you;
And though we lay these honours on this man,
To ease ourselves of divers sland'rous loads,
He shall but bear them as the ass bears gold,
To groan and sweat under the business,
Either led or driven, as we point the way;
And having brought our treasure where we will,
Then take we down his load, and turn him off,
Like to the empty ass, to shake his ears,
And graze in commons.


Octavian: You may do your will;
But he's a tried and valiant soldier.


Antony : So is my horse, Octavius, and for that
I do appoint him store of provender.
It is a creature that I teach to fight,
To wind, to stop, to run directly on,
His corporal motion govern'd by my spirit.
And, in some taste, is Lepidus but so:
He must be taught, and train'd, and bid go forth:
A barren-spirited fellow; one that feeds
On objects, arts, and imitations,
Which, out of use and stal'd by other men,
Begin his fashion. Do not talk of him
But as a property.