An emotional Sir Tony Blair paid tribute to his former deputy prime minister John Prescott as he said there was “no one quite like him in British politics”.

The former Labour prime minister paused as he spoke to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme when he said he felt “devastated” by Lord Prescott’s death at age 86.

Lord Prescott, a key figure of the New Labour project, died “peacefully” and surrounded by relatives at his care home, his family has announced.

Sir Tony told the BBC Lord Prescott was deeply proud of his working class background, as he shared the best advice given to him by his former deputy was “always to remember that we had two bits of the coalition” in the Labour Party.

He said: “One bit of the coalition was, you know, your progressive middle class, but the other was your aspirational working class.

“And it’s very important to realise this about John – he was proud of his working class roots, but he didn’t celebrate them in the sense of saying, you know, I want everyone to stay as they are.”

The ex-PM also spoke of Lord Prescott’s unifying presence in a Downing Street which often saw disagreements between Sir Tony and his chancellor, Gordon Brown.

“He looked upon himself as a bridge – and indeed he was a bridge.

“He was a vital part of keeping the whole show together,” Sir Tony said.

Lord Prescott, ennobled in 2010 after serving as an MP for Hull over four decades, once balanced a teacup and saucer on his stomach when he first met with the King, who was then Prince of Wales, Sir Tony also recalled.

The former prime minister said that Charles asked him “what do you think it signifies?”

Sir Tony added: “I said I don’t think it really signifies anything … it was classic John, but he would have had the same blunt conversation with the then-Prince Charles as he would have had with me.”

In a written tribute to his close colleague, Sir Tony had described Lord Prescott as “one of the most talented people I ever encountered in politics; one of the most committed and loyal; and definitely the most unusual”.

He also said Lord Prescott could “talk in the bluntest and sometimes bluest language”, but added this “concealed a first rate intellect which meant he thought as deeply about issues as much as he cared about them”.

Sir Tony, under whom Labour won three consecutive terms of office, said these victories could not have been possible without Lord Prescott.

“He was a commanding presence. He represented the wing of the party which was not New Labour, but he did it in a way which never reduced the effectiveness of our appeal and indeed extended it, broadening the base of our support,” he added.

Among Lord Prescott’s political achievements were the revival of British inner cities, the Kyoto climate treaty, and completing the Channel Tunnel, Sir Tony said.

He added: “Underneath what could be a fierce exterior, and a manner some undoubtedly found intimidating, beat a loving, kind and compassionate human heart. John was as good a friend as you could ever hope to have, with a deep sensitivity, even vulnerability.

“He will deservedly occupy a special place in the pantheon of the Labour leadership; he will be mourned by his many friends and fans around the world and for me, personally, today is a day of profound sadness but also immense pride in having known him and worked with him: a great man and great servant of country and party.”