IT’S the end of the road for Two Jags. John Prescott, the former deputy prime minister, this weekend lost his official Jaguar, driver and four-strong security team.

He was dropped off at his home in Hull yesterday for the last time by his government driver and praised him as the best he had known during his 10 years in the cabinet.

The official car ferried him on vital matters of government business - as well as a 200-yard journey at a seaside party conference to save the bouffant hairdo of his wife Pauline.

Prescott, who also owns his own Jaguar, lost his official car after a review by the policy and security services.

The royalty and ministerial visits committee, which made the decision, is reviewing the protection granted to Margaret Beckett, the former foreign secretary, and Sir John Major, the former Tory prime minister.

Prescott always fought against the sobriquet Two Jags, and last night he continued to dispute the accuracy of the nickname. “I only ever owned one Jag,” he said. “The other car was a government car.” As transport supremo, he famously declared that he wanted to get people out of their cars. As One Jag he can finally claim a policy success.

This weekend he was able to joke about the loss of his police protection. Prescott, who famously punched a protester in Rhyl in the run-up to the 2001 general election, said: “What you have to understand is that the police weren’t assigned to me for my protection, they were assigned for the public’s safety.”

He added: “What I’ll really look forward to is going to the pictures to see a film without having to take along four blokes.” He praised his team, saying: “They’ve done a great job.” Mark Malloch-Brown, minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, is thought to have been given the grace and favour apartment previously occupied by Prescott in Admiralty House. He is the first member of Gordon Brown’s government to move his family into a grace and favour London residence. It has an estimated market value of £2m.

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