JOHN Prescott was kissed by two young women as he hit the campaign trail in Carlisle today - in a new, slimmed-down version of his General Election battlebus.
The spartan, 11-seat minibus was a far cry from the plush campaign juggernauts he used in the previous three general election campaigns.
It will carry Mr Prescott and his team on a 4,000-mile (6,437km) tour of 50 key marginal seats to rally Labour support ahead of polling day.
Mr Prescott, who is leaving the House of Commons after 40 years as an MP and fighting 10 general elections, will revisit areas he campaigned for in 1997, 2001, and 2005, including Dumfries, Bolton, Burnley, Ellesmere Port, Dewsbury, Tynemouth, Brighton, Exeter and Plymouth.
The tour will also see the former deputy prime minister holding public meetings and rallies across the country alongside the Unite union's joint general secretary, Derek Simpson.
Mr Prescott said: "I'm revving up the battle bus for one last tour. This time it's absolutely vital that we get our core Labour vote out in this election. There are people who might not have voted for us in 2005 because they thought their vote wasn't needed.
"But now it's going to go to the wire and we need to get every vote out to ensure Labour keeps delivering for hard-working people and stop the Tories turning the clock back to the 80s, when we saw interest rates of 17%, three million unemployed and the hated poll tax.
"So I'll be campaigning 24/7 on the doorstep and online, on Facebook and face-to-face, defending Labour's record and highlighting the damage Tories would do to this country again."
Friends Vanessa Pattinson, 18, and Laura Naylor, 30, hugged and kissed Mr Prescott before he set off on his fourth and final tour from Carlisle railway station.
Ms Pattinson, a model from Port Carlisle, 10 miles west of Carlisle city, said: "We're Labour supporters and wanted to show our support. I wanted to give him a big hug and a kiss because I think he's lovely."
