Skinner in the House of Commons.

Dennis Edward Skinner (born February 11, 1932, Clay Cross, Derbyshire) is a British politician, and Labour Member of Parliament for Bolsover since 1970. Image File history File links Dennis_Skinner. ... Image File history File links Dennis_Skinner. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... Clay Cross in Chesterfield is a former mining village and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England. ... Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, and boasts some of Englands most attractive scenery. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Labour Party is a centre-left or social democratic political party in Britain (see British politics), and one of the United Kingdoms three main political parties. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Bolsover is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ...

He was chairman of the Labour Party between 1988 and 1989, and has stood on the National Executive Committee in most years since 1978. He identifies with the left of his party, is a member of the Socialist Campaign Group, and was once described by The Economist as a "hard-left oddball".^{[citation needed]} 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the Labour Party. ... 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... The Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. ... The Economist is a weekly news and international affairs publication of The Economist Newspaper Ltd edited in London, UK. It has been in continuous publication since September 1843. ...

Political views

Skinner's politics have been influenced by his background. The Bolsover area was formerly dominated by coal mining, and Skinner began his working life as a miner, although he won a place at Tupton Grammar School when he was 11. He later attended Ruskin College. The El Chino Mine located near Silver City, New Mexico is an open-pit copper mine Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, usually (but not always) from an ore body, vein, or (coal) seam. ... Tupton is a village in North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire, England, 4½ miles south of Chesterfield. ... Grammar school can refer to various types of schools in different English-speaking countries. ... Ruskin College is an independent college in Oxford, founded in 1899 and named after John Ruskin. ...

He became leader of the Derbyshire area of the National Union of Mineworkers between 1966 and 1970. He often tells the (possibly apocryphal) anecdote of turning up for work at his colliery after he had been elected as an MP, refusing to see this as his new occupation. This is why Skinner refuses to miss any sitting in the House of Commons, saying that "if you missed a shift at the pit, you would get the sack". He also refuses to adopt the Pairing system in which he can pair with a Tory MP and if one misses a vote, the other one can, saying he won't cover for them whilst they "Go swanning off to Ascot or to their boardrooms". The National Union of Mineworkers is a trade union for coal miners in the United Kingdom. ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... In Judeo-Christian theologies, apocrypha refers to religious Sacred text that have questionable authenticity or are otherwise disputed. ... Let R be a commutative ring with unity, and let M and N be two R-modules. ... Ascot Racecourse is a racecourse, located in the village of Ascot in the English county of Berkshire used for thoroughbred horse racing. ... In relation to a company, a director is an officer of the company charged with the conduct and management of the affairs of the company. ...

Avowedly, he is one of the few members whose politics remain strongly "class" based. During the years when Margaret Thatcher was British Prime Minister he persistently argued that the Labour Party should fight for the working-class as strongly as he thought the Conservatives were fighting for the middle-class. He was a strong supporter of the NUM and its then leader, Arthur Scargill, in the year long miners strike of 1984-85. Later, he broke with Scargill when the Socialist Labour Party was formed. In November 1990 when Thatcher made her final Prime Minister's Question Time appearance, veteran Liberal Democrat MP Alan Beith (then Treasury Spokesperson for the Lib Dems) asked a question about the European Single Bank, and Skinner quipped "No, she's going to be the Governor". Thatcher herself has called Skinner a "Marvellous Parlimentarian". Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. ... The Conservative Party (officially the Conservative & Unionist Party) is currently the second largest political party in the United Kingdom in terms of sitting Members of Parliament (MPs), and the largest in terms of public membership. ... The National Union of Mineworkers is a trade union for coal miners in the United Kingdom. ... Arthur Scargill (born January 11, 1938) was the leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) from 1981 to 2000 and is presently (2006) the leader of the Socialist Labour Party, a political party he founded in 1996. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Socialist Labour Party (SLP) is a small left-wing political party in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the year. ... Liberal democracy is a form of representative democracy where elected representatives that hold the decision power are moderated by a constitution that emphasizes protecting individual liberties and the rights of minorities in society, such as freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy... MP or mp may refer to: Northern Mariana Islands Member of Parliament Military Police Modus ponens Madhya Pradesh, a state in India Mathematical Physics Microprocessor Machine Pistol Multi-platform Mission Possible, a Christian based childrens ministry Mission Praise, a Christian hymn book Mana Points or Magic points, a measure... Alan Beith The Right Honourable Alan James Beith April 20, 1943) British politician, and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed. ... Lib Dem logo The Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) are a social liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the continent. ...

He takes a pro-choice stance on abortion. On several occasions he has enabled the defeat of moves to reduce the number of weeks the operation can be legally performed in Britain, by talking out the measure when the Conservatives enjoyed a parliamentary majority (filibustering) and other tactics. One such example was on January 20, 1989, when he held up proceedings by trying to move a writ for a by-election in the Richmond (North Yorkshire) constituency, which was incidentally won by later Conservative leader William Hague.[1] He has explained his views by noting that his mother was often pregnant; Skinner has many siblings. Pro-choice activists on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court, to rally for abortion rights on the anniversary of Roe v. ... Filibuster can mean a legislative tactic. ... January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... Richmond, North Yorkshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... This article is about the British politician William Hague; there is also a fictional character in sci-fi series Babylon 5 known as General William Hague. ...

He is known for his republican (i.e., anti-monarchist) sentiments, although unlike other Labour left-wingers such as Tony Benn, Kevin McNamara, Ken Livingstone and Clare Short, he has never publicly expressed support for Irish republicanism. It has been suggested that Républicanisme be merged into this article or section. ... Tony Benn about to join March 2005 anti-war demo in London Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (born April 3, 1925), known as Tony Benn, formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British politician on the left of the Labour Party. ... (Joseph) Kevin McNamara (born 5 September 1934) is a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for nearly 40 years. ... Ken Livingstone Kenneth Robert Livingstone (born June 17, 1945), is an English politician who has been the Mayor of London since the creation of the post in 2000. ... Clare Short (born 15 February 1946) is a British politician. ... Sinn Féin (pronounced in English, in Irish) is a name used by a series of Irish political movements of the 20th century, each of which claimed sole descent from the original party established by Arthur Griffith in 1905. ...

Skinner has often made sarcastic comments upon the arrival of Black Rod (the equivalent of the Serjeant-at-Arms in the House of Lords and symbol of Royal authority) in the Chamber of the House of Commons. He advocates outright abolition of the House of Lords. Black Rod comes each year into the Commons chamber to summon the House to hear the Queen's speech in the House of Lords. In 2000, he shouted out "Tell her to read the Guardian!" - the Guardian newspaper running a series at the time trying to get support for repealing various laws relating to the monarchy. Earlier, in May 1992, he told the Queen to "Pay your taxes" at the State opening of Parliament. At the time this was a big issue. The Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of a number of Commonwealth countries. ... A Serjeant at Arms (also spelt Sergeant at Arms, and sometimes Serjeant-at-Arms) is an officer appointed by a deliberative body, usually a legislature, to keep order during its meetings. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Guardian is a British newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. ... Look up May in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1992 (MCMXCII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday. ...

In 2003, he suggested that the Speaker "bar the doors" after Black Rod had arrived, a practice that is normally used to block late-arriving MPs from casting their votes after the division bells have been sounded. The tongue-in-cheek suggestion by Skinner was scoffed off by the generally good-humoured Speaker, Michael Martin. In the 2005 State Opening of Parliament, the MP shouted out, after Black Rod asked the Commons to be at the Lords to hear the Queen, "has she brought Camilla with her?" to much laughter from many in the House. The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body. ... The Right Honourable Michael John Martin MP (born 3 July 1945) is the current Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom. ... HRH The Duchess of Cornwall The Duchess of Cornwall (Camilla Rosemary Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly Parker Bowles, née Shand) (born 17 July 1947) is a member of the British Royal Family. ...

Parliamentarian

Usually sitting on the first seat of the front bench below the gangway in the Commons in a distinctive sports jacket (whilst most other MPs wear suits), Skinner is one of the best known MPs, and has been a particularly assiduous member of the House of Commons. He gained his sobriquet "the Beast of Bolsover" for falling foul of the procedures of Parliament, many of which are in his view archaic and contemptible. A sportcoat (also called a sports coat or sports jacket) is a tailored coat, similar in cut to a suit coat, but less restrictive, originally of a sturdy fabric for hunting and other outdoor sports. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

Skinner has been suspended from Parliament on at least ten occasions, usually for unparliamentary language when attacking opponents. Infractions have included:

• In 1992, referring to the Minister of Agriculture John Gummer as "slimy" and a "wart".
• In 1995, accusing the government of a "crooked deal" to sell off Britain's coal mines.
• On December 8, 2005, when referring to the economic record of the Conservatives in the 1980s, making the remark, "The only thing that was growing then were the lines of coke in front of boy George and the rest of the Tories", a reference to allegations published in the News of the World of cocaine use by the Shadow Chancellor, George Osborne. [2]
• On April 20, 2006, accusing Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst of leniency towards remarks made by opposition frontbencher Theresa May "because she's a Tory". [3] [4]

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. ... This article or section may be confusing for some readers, and should be edited to be clearer or more simplified. ... December 8 is the 342nd day (343rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is primarily responsible for marking the Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... George Gideon Oliver Osborne (born 23 May 1971 in London) is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, and has been Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001. ... April 20 is the 110th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (111th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable Sir Alan Gordon Barraclough Haselhurst (born June 23, 1937) is the British member of Parliament for Saffron Walden for the Conservative Party. ... Theresa May The Right Honourable Theresa Mary May (born in Eastbourne, Sussex on October 1, 1956 as Theresa Mary Brasier) is a British politician, former chairman of the Conservative Party, and Member of Parliament for Maidenhead. ...

Quotes

"Tell the House of Lords to go to hell."

- Dennis Skinner during the September 15th fox hunting debate in the House of Commons. [5]

"I thought you were taking Marquand with you." September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

- Heckling Roy Jenkins in 1976 when, during his farewell speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party before leaving to become President of the European Commission, he said: "I leave this party without rancour." David Marquand was then the MP for Ashfield and a close ally of Jenkins, who famously pronounced his Rs like Ws.

"When I called the right hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen) a pompous sod, Mr. Speaker said to me, 'You had better withdraw that'. I said I would withdraw 'pompous', but said, Mr. Speaker 'That's not the word I'm looking for.' There was laughter in the House and everyone thought that I had hit the nail on the head. I thought that that was a real parliamentary triumph, but Mr. Speaker thought differently. He said, 'Off you go,' and I did not get a chance to reply." [6] Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead, OM, PC (November 11, 1920 – January 5, 2003) was a British politician and a prominent Labour Member of Parliament in the 1960s and 1970s, and founding member of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). ... 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday. ... The Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) consists of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body. ... François-Xavier Ortoli, Romano Prodi, José Manuel Barroso and Jacques Delors The President of the European Commission is notionally the highest ranking unelected official within the European Union bureaucracy. ... David Marquand is an academic and ex-Labour Party MP. Marquands writings are broadly based upon issues surrounding British politics and social democracy. ... The Right Honourable David Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen, CH, PC (born July 2, 1938) is a British politician and one of the founders of the British Social Democratic Party (SDP). ... In the United Kingdom, the Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, and is seen historically as the First Commoner of the Land. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ...

External links

• Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Dennis Skinner MP
• TheyWorkForYou.com - Dennis Skinner MP
• The Public Whip - Dennis Skinner MP voting record
• BBC News - Dennis Skinner BBC profile