Labour peer John Prescott has defended Prince Charles over allegations he tries to secretly influence government policy with scrawled private notes to ministers - insisting he should 'right to 'write as many damn letters as he likes ' . The former deputy prime minister said he can not see a problem with the future King writing to government ministers and insisted he had ' a lot to offer this country ' . Lord Prescott 's intervention comes after the Supreme Court backed a previous ruling paving the way for the publication of Prince Charles 's so-called 'black spider ' memos . Lord Prescott , left , said that the Prince of Wales has a lot to offer the country . The letters were penned between September 2004 and March 2005 and sent by the Prince to seven government departments . Lord Prescott , whose letters are separate to those due to be released , said that while he is 'not a raving loyalist ' , he has ' a lot of time for Charles ' who he described as a passionate environmentalist . He said while he listens to the views of everyone who contacts him on political matters , he makes his own decisions . The former Labour minister , writing in the Sunday Mirror , said : ' Charles has an awful lot to offer this country . 'And if he wants to serve his subjects by helping young people into work , combating climate change and building sustainable communities , he can write as many damn letters as he likes . ' Lord Prescott published extracts from two letters he received from the Prince - including one expressing his sadness at the death of the Labour politician 's mother . The Labour peer said the notes proved 'the measure of the man ' . He said : 'They show he has nothing to hide and he should n't be worried about publication . ' The first letter is a typed ­invitation to a meeting of Regional­ ­Development Agency leaders in 1999 . Charles says it would be 'splendid ' to see Lord Prescott . The second is more personal and was written in the Prince 's ­distinctive handwriting in 2003 . It expresses sadness at the death of Lord Prescott 's mother . The Prince opens by joking that he has 'been overdoing the quota ' of letters to the Deputy PM . Prince Charles - with the Duchess of Cornwall at Ascot races last week - does a lot of good for the country , according to the former Labour minister Lord Prescott . But despite this – and the 'trouble ' the press would give him – he goes on to express his sadness and says his 'heart goes out ' to the politician . He added : ' I did receive letters from the prince when I was in government but they had no effect on any policy . People say he should n't be writing to ministers but he 's quite entitled to express his opinion . 'Politicians are lobbied all the time by individuals and groups and none of them would allow a letter – even from Prince Charles – to unduly ­influence them . ' Prince Charles has long been accused of 'bombarding ' ministers with 'black spider ' memos attacking government policy . His letters are so-named after his distinctive handwriting and abundant use of underlining and exclamation marks . Both Clarence House and the Prime Minister expressed disappointment after the court ruling . The notes reflect , according to previous attorney general Dominic Grieve , the prince 's 'most deeply held personal views and beliefs ' .
Ex deputy PM said there was no problem with Charles writing to ministers . Admitted Charles had sent him a lot of letters while he was in government . Comment: Comes after court ruled Charles 's letters to ministers should be published .