John Prescott turns on the charm on police chief campaign trail

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/oct/28/prescott-humberside-police-chief-campaign

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A bitter wind presaging sleet raked across Sunny Scunny on Friday morning as the Prezza express rolled into town. Outside Scunthorpe's Islamic Centre, where hundreds of members were celebrating the first day of the Eid al-Adha holiday, the former deputy prime minister stopped to remove his shoes. Once inside, Lord Prescott padded around the mosque, shaking hands, smiling broadly and delivering some self-deprecating anecdotes.

He recalled the time that he received a Qur'an and a traditional white robe from some Muslim hosts. "I put it on at home and tripped over it as I was coming down the stairs." And the time he was given a sheep's eyeball to eat. "I put it in my mouth, but ended up kicking it under the table."

Young men clutching camera phones asked to have their photo taken with him as Prescott continued to crack jokes.

It was a pattern repeated throughout a frenetic day as Prescott toured markets, fairgrounds and town centres seeking support for his bid to become Humberside's first police and crime commissioner, one of 41 similar posts to which officials will be elected in England and Wales next month and who will have the power to fire chief constables and set their force's priorities.

Canvassing for votes is a mammoth undertaking. Humberside, which is comprised of east Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire, is made up of 10 general election constituencies covering some 1,400 sq miles and a million people. "The celebrity thing helps," Prescott conceded during a walk through Scunthorpe's town centre. "A lot of people feel if they've seen you on TV they can approach you."

Fame, however, has its drawbacks. A man rushed past and yelled obscenities. Prescott remonstrated and asked him to stop and talk but he ran on. Two women approached to have their photo taken. "Your wife is beautiful," one said. "She was very lucky to get me," he joked, handing them badges and declaring them his deputy commissioners.

Later, a group of hoodies showed him a homemade bong after he consulted them on their preferred choice of illicit substances. Many people stopped to shake his hand. Virtually all called him John, and a few recalled the infamous incident when he floored a man who assaulted him.

At 70 Prescott still clearly enjoys campaigning. "He just loves the buzz of it," said Graham Petrini, Prescott's campaign manager, whose mobile ringtone plays the <em>Godfather </em>theme and who makes Malcolm Tucker look like a ray of sunshine.

From the unlikely setting of Mr Chu's, a cavernous Chinese restaurant on the banks of the Humber, the two men plot their next move on a large map adorned with red dots registering the places Prescott has visited.

There are a lot of dots, but there will be a lot more before the elections on 15 November. Typical campaign days stretch over 12 hours. Prescott is covering a lot of ground, supported by an impressive network of helpers. At all times a small army of earnest men and women drive him around and hand out thousands of pamphlets and badges, paid for out of Prescott's own pocket and text and online donations.

As Prescott tours the region the same themes come up. Voters want more officers on the beat and for the police to take their concerns seriously. "We are going to have to address police attitudes," Prescott tells them. Petrini, who despite his lugubrious appearance is very affable, claims private polling indicates the campaign is going well.

But away from Labour's urban hinterlands, in the small Yorkshire towns and villages, Prescott faces serious challenges from Tory and Ukip rivals. If the 2010 general election vote were repeated across Humberside's 10 constituencies, Prescott would lose to the Tories by 30,000 votes. Not since he fought Southport in the sixties has he contested anything other than a safe seat.

And Prescott, like every other candidate, is battling formidable voter apathy. A YouGov poll found that 61% of people disapproved of candidates being supported by a political party, while nearly half thought police commissioners would make no difference.

Even David Cameron's policing adviser, Lord Wasserman, a guru of police privatisation and chief cheerleader for the elections, has been forced to admit that the Tories have failed to "sell" the idea and is urging people not to vote for career politicians like Prescott. Many people, however, appear uncertain as to whom to vote for. The Home Office's refusal to fund a mail shot for each of the 194 candidates standing has led to claims that voters have been left in the dark.

One poll suggested more than a third were not even aware of the elections. And for those who are, options are limited. The Liberal Democrats are running candidates in only 24 of the 41 areas. Only 29% of candidates are independent and just 18% are women.

As a result, it is predicted turnout could be as low as 18%, something that would puncture claims that commissioners will make the police more accountable. Indeed, in Humberside it was evident that many voters did not view the commissioner elections as a policing matter. "I've voted for you with my postal vote," a young woman told Prescott, "because you're better than those other bleeders. I broke my back and I'm on the sick and they want to take my benefits away."

Aware this is a common view, Prescott claims the elections can become a referendum on the coalition. In addition to the vote for police commissioners, he points out, 15 November will also see three byelections and an election for the mayor of Bristol. "This can be a vote on the rule of the toffs," Prescott declared during a short speech in Hull attended by a few of the faithful and a handful of curious passers-by.

He talked about privatisation of the police, of threats to the NHS and local authorities. He pledged to resist cuts to police numbers, but the detail was difficult to convey in soundbites to people who have much bigger worries.

Last week a major employer in the city, nappy maker Kimberly-Clark, announced 450 jobs were to go. Almost 300 more are being axed at a local food supplements supplier. Police commissioners barely register on the list of people's concerns.

It doesn't help Prescott's cause that Labour is divided over the elections. The party opposed the creation of commissioners, claiming they were a waste of money, but is now having to sell its candidates to the public. Seven of Labour's candidates are MPs who lost their seats. And Prescott's rivals are up for the fight. Yesterday the Tories co-ordinated a Stop Prescott day, with supporters taking to Twitter to attack his policies.

Prescott, however, appeared buoyant. "I just like being in public life," he said as he toured a funfair, a stuffed toy tiger under his arm. "This would mean I would no longer have to keep getting the train down to London. My wife said, 'what about the stress?' I said, 'I'll handle it.' She said, 'I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about me if you end up being up here seven days a week'."

He got into a dodgem. He drove slowly and was an easy target. He seemed to be enjoying the ride.