On 16 May 2001, the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, punched a protester who had thrown an egg at him during a Labour Party general election campaign event in Rhyl, north Wales.

The confrontation took place against a backdrop of protests by farmers and rural communities over issues including low agricultural wages, the government’s handling of the foot-and-mouth disease crisis and a proposed ban on fox hunting.

Prescott, upon stepping off his campaign bus, the Prescott Express, was greeted by 30 protesters carrying placards. One poster bore the message “Average farming wage in Wales £75 a week”.

Then, Craig Evans, a 29-year-old local farm worker, threw an egg that struck the deputy prime minister on the side of the head. Prescott, a former amateur boxer, immediately retaliated. He turned and struck Evans with a left jab to the jaw.

A brief scuffle ensued as police and officials intervened to separate the two men.

Prescott, 62, reportedly refused to apologise – Downing Street head of communications Alastair Campbell’s recommended response.

Instead, the deputy prime minister stated: “I got off my bus into an already hostile crowd. I walked through all the jostling and I was attacked by an individual. In the melee that followed I clearly defended myself.

“I believe that someone is now being questioned by the police and it would be quite wrong of me to add any further comment.”

In a subsequent statement, Prescott described the incident as “frightening” and said he wanted to get back to campaigning “without any violence or intimidation”.

Assistant chief constable Clive Wolfendale said: “Clearly, if there are any allegations made against him as a result of these incidents, we will investigate. If that means questioning Mr Prescott, we will do that.”

Clip.

***

The melee understandably overshadowed the launch of Labour’s 44-page manifesto, entitled Ambitions for Britain, in Birmingham. The policy platform promised a Labour government would recruit 10,000 more teachers, 20,000 more nurses, 10,000 more doctors and 6,000 extra police.

At the manifesto launch, Blair was also confronted by the partner of a cancer patient, Sharron Storer, who claimed that Labour had not kept its promises on the NHS.

Jack Straw, the home secretary, was also jeered and slow-handclapped as he addressed the Police Federation annual conference in Blackpool.

Blair later attempted to play down Prescott’s punch, declaring: “John is John”.

Asked about his deputy, the prime minister told a press conference: “In respect of John, of course it would have been better if the whole thing hadn’t happened, but I want to say something to you about John Prescott.

“You could not wish for a deputy more loyal, more true and more decent. He cares about his country and he cares passionately about his politics but John is John and I’m lucky to have him as my deputy.”

The PM added: “He regrets the whole incident ever happened. He felt a blow on the side of his head and reacted instinctively.”

William Hague, the leader of the Conservative Party, argued that Prescott should have kept his cool.

Hague said: “No doubt he was a bit rattled because it was a day when Tony Blair and [home secretary] Jack Straw had actually spoken to some people around the country and found out the reality of what was going on in this country and that people are not satisfied with the performance of the government.”

Simon Hughes, the Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson, argued that both Prescott and the protestor were in the wrong.

Hughes said: “The guy should not have thrown the egg and the deputy prime minister should not have reacted in the way that he did. None of us is perfect. But both of them have now to be dealt with by the law in the usual way.”

Polls conducted in the aftermath found the public was generally supportive of Prescott’s response.

***

While Merseyside Police investigated the altercation, no charges were brought against either man.

The incident, which became known as the ‘Prescott Punch’ or the ‘Rumble in Rhyl’, did not appear to damage Labour’s electoral fortunes; the party was returned to power with another landslide majority on 7 June 2001.

The scuffle subsequently earned Prescott the nickname “Two Jabs” – a reference to his existing moniker “Two Jags” (the deputy prime minister was fond of his luxury cars).

Prescott stood down as deputy prime minister in June 2007. He was made a life peer after leaving the House of Commons at the 2010 general election.

Prescott died on 20 November 2024, aged 86.

Blair recalled the so-called “Prescott punch” in an interview with BBC Radio 4 on 21 November 2024.

He stated: “I was just thinking this morning about the time when in the 2001 election – remember when someone smashed an egg on his head and he turned around and he punched the guy and laid him out?

“This caused a huge sort of fracas, this was an immense media story, and we had to give a press conference in the election campaign the next day.

“And some people were saying, ‘Well, look, he’s deputy prime minister, you can’t have a deputy prime minister thumping a voter.’

“And other people said … ‘he had this egg slammed in his head, and he turned around and and whacked the guy, and a lot of people think, Well, fair enough.’

“And so there was nothing you could do. So we had a long debate about it and finally, at the press conference, when I was asked about it, I just said, ‘Well, John is John.’

“And so was that supposed to be an answer? I said, ‘Yes, that’s an answer.’ That’s as much as you can say, and that’s what he was like, there were no rules that he really abided by.

“I feel a huge sense of loss, because it wasn’t just a political relationship. I had a profound affection for him.”