Changes

First elected to the [[House of Commons]] for Hull East in 1970, he held various posts in the [[Labour Party]] shadow cabinet before being elected deputy leader of the party in 1994, at the same time as [[Tony Blair]] was elected party leader. In 1997, when Blair's Labour government came to power, Prescott was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

First elected to the [[House of Commons]] for Hull East in 1970, he held various posts in the [[Labour Party]] shadow cabinet before being elected deputy leader of the party in 1994, at the same time as [[Tony Blair]] was elected party leader. In 1997, when Blair's Labour government came to power, Prescott was appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

In 2001, Prescott was also given responsibility for local government, environment and transport. In this capacity, he was criticised for his department's alleged incompetence in many areas, including the demolition of 200,000 homes when it would have been more cost-effective to renovate them.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/16/npresc16.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/05/16/ixportal.html Has John Prescott got his sums right?], Daily Telegraph, 16 May 2005</ref>

In 2001, Prescott was also given responsibility for local government, environment and transport. In this capacity, he was criticised for his department's alleged incompetence in many areas, including the demolition of 200,000 homes when it would have been more cost-effective to renovate them.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/05/16/npresc16.xml&sSheet=/portal/2005/05/16/ixportal.html Has John Prescott got his sums right?], Daily Telegraph, 16 May 2005</ref>

In 2006, shortly after it transpired that he had been involved in a lengthy extramarital affair with his diary secretary,<ref name="a1"/> Blair removed his departmental responsibilities in a Cabinet reshuffle. However, he was criticised in the press for the fact that he retained his residence at Admiralty House and other "perks" of ministerial office.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article714215.ece Prescott the predator keeps his spoils], Times Online, 7 May 2006</ref>

In 2006, shortly after it transpired that he had been involved in a lengthy extramarital affair with his diary secretary,<ref name="a1"/> Blair removed his departmental responsibilities in a Cabinet reshuffle. However, he was criticised in the press for the fact that he retained his residence at Admiralty House and other "perks" of ministerial office.<ref>[http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article714215.ece Prescott the predator keeps his spoils], Times Online, 7 May 2006</ref>