John Prescott (Obituary, 21 November) punched above his weight in more ways than one. In the outdoor movement we owe him for at least three major victories. The first is the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. John, as environment secretary, pushed through Labour’s manifesto promise, giving us a vital measure of freedom to roam.
The second and third were two new national parks, the New Forest and the South Downs, which John, bursting through official sloth, announced at the Labour party conference on 29 September 1999. This marked the 50th anniversary of Labour’s great National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act: John knew that designating these parks was a fitting way to keep the postwar ideal alive.
