JOHN Prescott has confirmed that he will stand down as an MP at the next election and he will be missed for all kinds of reasons.

The chairman of the Hull East Labour Party, Steve Brady, says Mr Prescott will be missed by his constituents because he was a good MP who resolved lots of difficult local issues. That may be so.

Other political commentators say he will be missed as the country's last old-style socialist politician - a man with the common touch who was a vital link between traditional party members and the New Labour Government.

But after 37 years as an MP, the sad truth for John Prescott is that he will ultimately be remembered by the majority of British people as an accident-prone liability who ended up as a laughing stock.

We'd got used to Mr Prescott's muddled way with words that turned his stand-in appearances for the Prime Minister at the House of Commons into comedy events.

Throwing a punch at a protestor who threw an egg at him during the 2001 General Election campaign threatened to be a disaster but actually played in his favour, earning him the "You don't mess with John Prescott" label.

But his affair with secretary Tracey Temple, and all the humiliation which went with her kiss and tell revelations, left his credibility in tatters.

And when a newspaper published a photograph of the old left-winger playing croquet with staff at his grace-and-favour country residence, Dorneywood, the destruction of his public image was complete.

Yes, the media will miss John Prescott - because he was always likely to do or say something embarrassing.