How the late John Prescott and trans pioneer April Ashley forged an unlikely bond

While my co-author Jacqueline Kent and I were researching our new biography of April Ashley, one of the most surprising people in her remarkable life was not Salvador Dali, Peter Sellers and even Michael Hutchence. It was John Prescott.

The tributes to Prescott after his death last week have focussed on his support for the trade union movement and the Labour cause. But he should also be praised for his steadfast support of civil and specifically trans rights, inspired by his personal connection with Ashley.

Both were proud northerners: Prescott born in Prestatyn, April in Liverpool. Both spectacularly transcended their origins: Prescott as Labour’s deputy prime minister, April – assigned male at birth, becoming a glamorous model and trans icon. Both came from poor working-class families without much education, both

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