Former deputy PM John Prescott hospitalised after stroke
John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, has been admitted to hospital after he suffered a stroke.
In a statement posted on his Twitter account, Lord Prescott’s family said the ex-MP was taken to Hull Royal Infirmary last Friday.
The hospital said it would not be providing update on Prescott’s condition, in line with his family’s wishes.
Prescott, 81, was a member of parliament between 1970 and 2010. He served as deputy prime minister between 1997 and 2007 under Tony Blair. He was known as a mediating force between Blair and then-chancellor Gordon Brown, and has been a staunch defender of Jeremy Corbyn despite the Labour leader drawing criticism from many other New Labour figures.
Blair, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner and Conservative deputy chairman James Cleverly were among those expressing sympathy and support for the former Hull East MP today.
Prescott was treated for pneumonia before he stepped down as deputy PM in 2007, and has previously said he has type 2 diabetes, which he has been able to control using medication.