John Prescott’s son joins Greens
John Prescott’s Son Joins Green Party
Sky News has uncovered that David Prescott, the son of Labour’s late deputy prime minister John Prescott, has become a member of the Green Party. The move marks a notable shift for the former Labour figure, who had previously campaigned for his father’s party in multiple constituencies.
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David Prescott, who shared a decade-long tenure with Sir Tony Blair, joined the Greens in October 2025—a year after his father’s passing. In a recent post, he was pictured with Green campaigners in Gorton and Denton, the areas that secured the party’s initial by-election triumph. The caption read: “What. A. Day. Hope Beat Hate.”
“David was raised in the Labour tradition, with a family deeply rooted in socialist ideals and union activism,” remarked Karl Turner, who replaced John Prescott as the Labour MP for Hull East in 2010. “Yet he consistently carved his own path, independent of his father’s legacy. I believe John Prescott would be incensed if he were alive today, but his criticism would be directed at Labour for enabling progressive supporters to transition to a more left-leaning alternative.”
The Greens’ recent success in Gorton and Denton has intensified concerns within Labour about losing votes not only to Reform on the right but also to progressive factions that have gradually moved away from the party. This trend has been accelerated by issues like Labour’s position on the Gaza war, which has alienated key voter groups.
A poll by YouGov for Sky News showed the Green Party vaulting past Labour to claim second place, climbing four percentage points to 21%. The pollster attributed this surge partly to the visibility generated by the Gorton and Denton by-election. David Prescott, one of John’s two sons with his wife Pauline, had previously sought Labour candidacy in seats such as East Hull, Greenwich and Woolwich, and Hull West and Hessle, but failed to gain selection. In 2015, he succeeded in securing the Labour nomination for Gainsborough, though he lost to Conservative Edward Leigh.
David was briefly suspended from his role as an advisor to Jeremy Corbyn in 2017 due to allegations of harassment. He denied the accusations, and Labour did not remove his membership at the time since no formal complaint was filed.
“David hasn’t publicly commented on his decision to leave Labour out of respect for remaining members, councillors, and MPs,” said a Green Party representative. “However, he was among 2,000 volunteers who helped Hannah win her seat in Gorton and Denton, and we are grateful for his contribution.”
In the wake of the by-election loss, which occurred amid the rising Middle East conflict sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, some Labour MPs have questioned the prime minister’s leadership. John Trickett, representing Normanton and Hemsworth, tweeted: “Labour is losing support in all directions. This reflects poor choices by the PM. A leadership change is essential.”
Another Labour MP described the result as a “blow to the party and Keir Starmer’s leadership,” arguing that the government has eroded its grassroots base and sidelined its activists. They suggested that Labour must embrace alliances with other progressive parties, advocating for collaboration, democratic reforms, and acknowledging that the centre-left vote is no longer solely theirs to claim.
The prime minister acknowledged that the Gorton and Denton outcome had been “extremely discouraging,” though noted that by-election losses are typical for ruling parties and pledged to “continue the struggle.”
Read more from Sky News: My run-in with John Prescott | Can Starmer find a way back?