Wealth & Money Quote by John Prescott

A sentence like this only makes sense in the messy middle of politics, where policy is always being translated into something that sounds like plain talk. Prescott’s halting phrasing - “Refurbishing I’ve done,” “of course,” “to the north” - reads less like a crafted line than a glimpse of a minister trying to prove, in real time, that the numbers add up to fairness. That’s the intent: to reassure an audience (especially in northern England) that investment hasn’t been hoarded by London and the South, and that his side can claim tangible, bricks-and-mortar results.

The subtext is defensive. “I’m still giving housing money” carries an implied accusation he’s answering: that the government talks about regional equality while letting the North decay. The word “still” suggests continuity under pressure, as if the commitment is being questioned or politically endangered. “Of course” is doing heavy lifting: it pretends the decision is obvious, non-ideological, almost automatic. That rhetorical move tries to shut down criticism by presenting redistribution as common sense rather than a contested choice.

Context matters because Prescott’s political brand was built on a North-South argument inside British Labour: modernisation, yes, but not at the expense of Labour’s heartlands. Housing refurbishment is a perfect proxy issue - visible, local, and emotionally charged - and this slightly scrambled delivery inadvertently signals authenticity. It sounds like a man trying to be heard over the static: Treasury rules, media cynicism, and a country that measures belonging by whether your street looks cared for.