John Prescott’s son joins Greens
John Prescott’s Son Joins Green Party
Sky News reports that David Prescott, the son of former Labour Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, has transitioned to the Green Party. The move follows the recent by-election results in Gorton and Denton, where the Greens claimed their first victory in the party’s history.
David, who was raised in a politically engaged socialist family, joined the Greens in October 2025—a year after his father’s passing. His father had served as a key figure in Tony Blair’s government for a decade. In a Facebook post, David was pictured with local Green activists, accompanied by a caption celebrating the historic win: “What. A. Day. Hope Beat Hate.”
Political Fallout and Party Shifts
“David was born into the Labour Party and like myself he was from a rock-solid socialist and trade union family,” said Karl Turner, who inherited John Prescott’s Hull East constituency in 2010. “Again like myself, David was politically active from a very young age. David was always his own man not his old man.”
Turner also speculated that John Prescott would have been “furious” had he witnessed his son’s defection. He criticized Labour for losing progressive voters to the Greens, which he described as a “left-wing, more progressive alternative” to the party his father helped shape.
The Greens’ surge in support was highlighted by a YouGov poll for Sky News, which showed the party rising to 21%—four points ahead. This growth was attributed to the publicity from the Gorton and Denton by-election, which marked a turning point for the party.
David’s Campaign History
David had previously sought Labour nominations in multiple constituencies, including his father’s East Hull seat and others like Greenwich and Woolwich. However, he was not selected for these races. His success came in 2015 when he won the Gainsborough seat, though he lost to Conservative Edward Leigh.
David was temporarily suspended from his role as an aide to Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 due to harassment allegations. He denied the claims, and Labour did not remove his membership until a formal complaint was filed.
Labour’s Response and Calls for Reform
A Green Party insider mentioned that David had not publicly commented on his switch out of respect for remaining Labour members. “He was one of 2,000 volunteers who supported Hannah’s campaign in Gorton and Denton,” the source noted.
The by-election loss has intensified internal debates within Labour. MPs like John Trickett, who represented Normanton and Hemsworth, attributed the result to “bad political choices” by the Prime Minister. “Labour lost votes in every direction,” Trickett wrote on X, “and the same problem is replicated across the country.”
“Stopping Reform now has to be the priority. But Labour can’t do that from a position of arrogance or denial. We will need to work with other progressive parties. That means cooperation. It means democratic reform. It means accepting we do not own the centre-left vote,” said one Labour MP, who called the result a “punch in the face” for Keir Starmer’s leadership.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged the “very disappointing” performance in Gorton and Denton but emphasized that losing by-elections is “not uncommon” for governing parties. He pledged to “keep fighting” amid the challenges.
Read more from Sky News: My run-in with John Prescott, Can Starmer find a way back?
