2001 United Kingdom general election previous autumn had shown the first Tory lead (though only by a narrow margin) in the opinion polls for eight years as they benefited from the public anger towards the government over the fuel protests which had led to a severe shortage of motor fuel. By the end of 2000, however, the dispute had been solved and Labour were firmly back in the lead of the opinion polls. In total, a mere 29 parliamentary seats changed hands at the 2001 Election. One of the more noted events of a quiet campaign was when countryside protester Craig Evans threw an egg
John Prescott official ministerial car). Later versions of this term are "Two Jabs" (following his retaliation against a protester farmer in 2001); and "Two Shacks" (referring to his former country house). When he lost his department in a cabinet reshuffle following exposure of his affair, newspapers dubbed him "Two Shags" and "No Jobs". Banned from driving after being convicted of speeding in 1991, Prescott was banned again after a similar conviction in June 2015. This led to him being nicknamed "Two bans". On 8 May 2009, "The Daily Telegraph" began publishing leaked details of MPs' expenses. "The Telegraph" reported that Prescott had