John Prescott's son calls radio station to defend father's peerage

John Prescott's son took the unusual decision to call a radio phone-in today, to defend his father over his decision to accept a seat in the House of Lords. David Prescott called London's LBC radio to scotch claims that Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, had agreed to become a member of the House of Lords for money or to please his wife of 48 years, Pauline. He felt the need to call in and tell listeners that his 72-year-old father had only accepted the peerage in order to continue contributing to political life. David Prescott, who unsuccessfully bid to be a Labour parliamentary candidate at the 2010 general election, called James O'Brien, a presenter on LBC 97.3, to put the record straight the day after his father was sworn in to the Lords as Baron Prescott of Kingston Upon Hull. John Prescott had previously said he would never enter the Lords, despite the wishes of his wife. Prescott Jr reiterated the argument that his mother did not need her husband to have a title to be a lady — a comment first publicly expressed by his father. On the suggestion that Prescott Sr was pushed into it by his wife, he said: "I mean it's very sweet and it makes a very good story, but quite frankly, the reason why John is going in and becoming a lord is because he wants to stay in the Houses of Parliament — not for the money, he just wants to stay there and campaign for the things he really still believes in, like social justice. "Things that made him become a shop steward in the unions back in the 60s, and then become an MP and then spend 18 years in opposition and then to go on a fight for a Labour victory …" On his mother, Prescott Jr added: "We've always said she's always been a lady and she always will remain it and she doesn't need a title or so to basically confirm that in our eyes. We know that anyway..." Asked by O'Brien why Prescott Sr didn't just remain as MP for Kingston Upon Hull to pursue his political aims, his son pointed out the veteran politician's age and the pace of life in the Commons. "I think anybody who's been an MP will know the kind of workrate that that actually involves and at the age of 72, and for Pauline as well, I think it's just a case that he wants to do other things now but he still wants to be involved in the finest platform. Whether it's as a lord or not, the second chamber is still the Houses of Parliament." On the eve of his swearing-in ceremony, John Prescott tweeted that he would use the position to hold the government to account, and as a platform to campaign for issues he believes in. Prescott ruled out a peerage during an interview in 2008 with the Scotsman . The deputy prime minister had by this time announced his intention to stand down as MP at the 2010 general election. Asked about a possible future in the Lords, he said: "I'm against too much flunkery and titles. But Paul would like me to. I tell her, 'What do you want to be Lady Prescott for? You're a lady already'." The same year, the Daily Mail reported quotes given by Prescott which firmly ruled out peerage. "I don't want to be a member of the House of Lords. I will not accept it. My wife Pauline would quite like me to accept it, but why should I be sidelined to the Lords when I could do so much more for the Labour movement? "Being a lord is not for three years or four years, it is for life. There are other things I want to get involved in. People think already that I have retired from public life — I haven't. I am still an MP and after that I still want to make a contribution."