this is bbc news, the headlines: in news, the headlines: the uk, the prime minister is in the uk, the prime minister is leaving tributes to the former deputy prime minister john prescott, who has died at the age of 86. keir starmer says he is deeply saddened to learn of his death, adding that he was a true giant of the labour movement. let's speak to lord mandelson, one of the key figures during the transformation of the labour party under tony blair. nice to have the opportunity to rememberjohn, and also to offer my condolences to his family, to pauline and jonathan and david. they really stood by him. they were a great family and they still are. tn; him. they were a great family and they still are.— and they still are. try to sum u . and they still are. try to sum u- such and they still are. try to sum up such a _ and they still are. try to sum up such a towering _ and they still are. try to sum up such a towering political. up such a towering political career. . , up such a towering political career. ., , ., .,

career. he was one of the all-time _ career. he was one of the all-time greats _ career. he was one of the all-time greats of - career. he was one of the all-time greats of the - career. he was one of the . all-time greats of the labour all—time greats of the labour party. no ifs, no buts. he was in many senses the anchor of new labour and in many senses the anchor of new labourand our in many senses the anchor of new labour and our three times successfully elected labour government, the longest labour government, the longest labour government in the country's history, and he was central to that. he was in many ways the cement that kept new labour together, in his own very inimitable way.— together, in his own very inimitable way. how did he do that? was _ inimitable way. how did he do that? was it _ inimitable way. how did he do that? was it his _ inimitable way. how did he do that? was it his beliefs, - inimitable way. how did he do that? was it his beliefs, his i that? was it his beliefs, his values, his personality? how did he play — values, his personality? how did he play that _ values, his personality? how did he play that role? - values, his personality? haw-h" did he play that role? and sheer brute force. the thing you have to understand about john, people say he was the working class bit of labour. well, yes, he was in a sense and he had great trade union

roots and he was a fighter for working people in this country, no doubt about that. but he wanted working people to get on. he was for the aspirational working class. he wasn't two jags prescott for nothing. he wanted people to get on and be properly paid and rewarded and properly paid and rewarded and properly acknowledged, treated with real dignity as they got on in life. in that sense, he was an essential part of new labour. sometimes people say he was an add—on to new labour, like some sort of fashion accessory to new labour. that doesn't quite get it, i'm afraid. he was central to it because new labour was about both those things. it was about aspirational working class people in this country and the

more middle class types, the university educated ones, and he bridged that very effectively. he believed in it. that was why he was central to it. �* ., that was why he was central to it. �* . ., , that was why he was central to it. and he had many colourful moments _ it. and he had many colourful moments on _ it. and he had many colourful moments on camera. - it. and he had many colourful. moments on camera. colourful! like punching — moments on camera. colourful! like punching someone - moments on camera. colourful! like punching someone and - like punching someone and things like that. what was he like when the cameras were not on him? behind closed doors when the big moments were happening, what kind of person was he? he happening, what kind of person was he? . ., , happening, what kind of person was he? _, , ., ., happening, what kind of person was he? , ., ., ., was he? he could be one of two thins, was he? he could be one of two things. or _ was he? he could be one of two things, or both _ was he? he could be one of two things, or both things _ was he? he could be one of two things, or both things together| things, or both things together in any given meeting. he could be very robust and quite angry, shouting the odds and laying down the law. everyone would be sitting bolt upright, wondering what was going to come next. but he could also be the sober one, the broker, the person who brought people together, whom each other at the end of the meeting, there was an agreement or resolution. he was both

those things and many other things besides. he was a force of nature. ifjohn wanted to get his own way, if he thought something was important, if he had looked into something, whatever it was, something to do with a party or some policy or something that he really cared about, he would look into it. he was like a dog with a bone, and he wouldn't let go. but he was also a negotiator. he understood that there had to be give and take and compromise and other people had to be accommodated. so he was a weird and wonderful guy who made things work, and that is what made us successful in government. he made sure that government. he made sure that government works. he was incredibly loyal to the prime minister, tony blair. people talked about yin and yang and how can two people who were so incredibly different ever have got on and done what they did?

john, for all his disagreements about whatever the issue was on that day, he would, as i say, reaching outcome and even if he wasn't completely happy with the outcome, he would go out and fight for it, really loyal up and fight for it, really loyal up and he would do so in his own inimitable way. the syntax, as tony blair said this morning, wasn't always right, but it was the sense that mattered with john. but it was the sense that mattered withjohn. you are never left in any doubt about the sense of what he was saying at any given time was that plain speaking is often a euphemism, but he certainly was. �* , ., euphemism, but he certainly was. , .,, euphemism, but he certainly was. , ._ ., was. and you personally were on the end of— was. and you personally were on the end of some _ was. and you personally were on the end of some of _ was. and you personally were on the end of some of his _ was. and you personally were on the end of some of his gentle - the end of some of his gentle ribbing from time to time. i wouldn't say that it felt like gentle ribbing entirely at the time. you have to remember two things about me and john prescott. one was that he was

the guy who gave me my reference, my testimonial for my firstjob in the labour party when i applied to be its director of campaigns and communications in 1985. i had already worked withjohn already worked with john prescott in the transport team earlier in the 1980s, when i was a research assistant and a parliamentary aide in the house of commons. he was the one who gave me my reference. and he said to me at the time, you are good with this media stuff, you are a slick person. so you can do thisjob very are a slick person. so you can do this job very well, but make sure you keep your nose out of politics. he said, you are always trying to interfere and meddle with things. you are a meddlesome person. he said, keep your nose out of politics and stick to the media. i said, yes, john, of course, thanks for the advice. this year, after many years of not having

beenin after many years of not having been in contact, he comes onto my phone one sunday morning on facetime and says, is that you, peter? i said, facetime and says, is that you, peter? isaid, yes, john, it is, how are you? he said, i want to tell you i forgive you. i said, what are you for giving me for? he said, well, you were treated not well. we were the meat in the sandwich, you always got a good kicking and i want you to know i forgive you always got a good kicking and i want you to know i forgive you stop i said, do you mean stop i said, do you mean forgive me sympathise with me? forgive me sympathise with me? he said, yes, that as well. and he said, yes, that as well. and we talked for another ten we talked for another ten minutes or so and then he was minutes or so and then he was off, and that was just this off, and that was just this year. it was lovely.- year. it was lovely.- off, and that was just this year. it was lovely. what a off, and that was just this year. it was lovely. what a fantastic — year. it was lovely. what a fantastic memory. - fantastic — year. it was lovely. what a fantastic memory. - year. it was lovely. what a fantastic memory. one - year. it was lovely. what a fantastic memory. one - year. it was lovely. what a | fantastic memory. one last question, which i know is an year. it was lovely. what a | fantastic memory. one last question, which i know is an impossible one, but broadly, impossible one, but broadly, what do you think is the legacy what do you think is the legacy that he will leave? the that he will leave? the what do you think is the legacy that he will leave?— what do you think is the legacy that he will leave?— that he will leave? the legacy is the three _ that he will leave? the legacy is the three times _ that he will leave? the legacy is the three times elected - that he will leave? the legacy is the three _ that he will leave? the legacy is the three times _ that he will leave? the legacy is the three times elected - is the three times elected labour government, the longest is the three times elected labour government, the longest

labour government, the longest labour government, the longest labour government, the longest labour government, the longest labour government in our labour government in our country's history, and he was central to it. that is his legacy. kyoto and all he did in that treaty, climate change, legacy. kyoto and all he did in that treaty, clim those inge, legacy. kyoto and all he did in that treaty, clim those were government. all those were substantial, but they weren't as great as the whole thing. he was central to it and i don't think we could have done it in the way we did if he hadn't been there.— the way we did if he hadn't been there. lord mandelson, thank you _ been there. lord mandelson, thank you for _ been there. lord mandelson, thank you for sharing - been there. lord mandelson, thank you for sharing your . thank you for sharing your thoughts and memories. peter mandelson. peter mandelson did reference the former prime minister tony blair, also paying his tribute tojohn prescott. i mean, people often used to see him as a traditional labour as opposed to new labour and that was true to a degree. i mean, he obviously

came from a completely different background for me. he reached parts of the labour party and parts of the electorate that probably i couldn't reach. but he was actually an innovator. he was highly intelligent. that was sometimes masked by, you know, people used to make fun of his speeches and his use of the english language. but he was an incredibly direct communicator. and even if the syntax never quite made sense, the sentiment was very powerful and made complete sense. and ifound him, you know, we had our disagreements from time to time, but he was loyal, committed and an enormous help to me. he had a fantastic gut instinct about politics. even though you say you knew it was coming, it must be an emotional thing to hear this and also to know someone that you were so close to isn't here any more. yeah, and i came to have a huge, genuine affection for him. i mean, it was, it surprised people because they always

thought of us as the sort of yin and yang and i was never sure who was the yin and who was the young and maybe it switched around at points. but i also had a lot of funny times with him. i mean, he could be a very amusing guy and i wasjust 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 punched the guy and laid him out. and this caused a huge fracas and there was this immense media story and we had to give a press conference in the election campaign the next day. some people would say, "he is the deputy prime

tony blair, giving his memories ofjohn prescott. ijust want to show ofjohn prescott. i just want to show you ofjohn prescott. ijust want to show you the live page running on the bbc website, plenty more reflections coming in on the life and career of john prescott. let's take you to these live pictures of lebanon in beirut. you can see the black smoke rising above the black smoke rising above israel and then strikes hitting the skyline. the details we sou skyline. . israel and then strikes hitting sou skyline. the details we have about what has happened the skyline. the details we have about what has happened are not very expensive, but we are not very expensive, but we know strikes have hit south know strikes have hit south beirut after israel evacuation beirut after israel evacuation calls. this is from afp news calls. this is from afp news agency. their sequencing of agency. their sequencing of events is evacuation calls by events is evacuation calls by israel and then strikes hitting israel and then strikes hitting

south beirut. south beirut. these are the live pictures. we will keep across those for you. australia's parliament has introduced what it calls world—first legislation to restrict under 16s from accessing social media apps like facebook, instagram, snapchat and tiktok. the government says it's doing it for "the mums and dads" who are worried about the impact of social media on their children. the law has to be passed in both houses before it becomes law, but it does have cross—party support. our sydney correspondent katy watson reports. let's speak to zoe mckenzie, an australian opposition mp who serves on australia'sjoint parliamentary committee on social media and australian society. are you confident that this piece of legislation will pass and will become law? indeed sto this and will become law? indeed stop this morning _ and will become law? indeed stop this morning the - stop this morning the legislation was introduced and it was discussed at various points during the day, and

it was discussed at va