Dennis Edward Skinner (born 11 February 1932) is a British
politicianA politician or political leader is an individual who is involved in influencing public decision making. This includes people who hold decision-making positions in government, and people who seek those positions, whether by means of election, coup d'état, appointment, electoral fraud, conquest,...
who has been the
LabourThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
for Bolsover since 1970. He is nicknamed 'the Beast of Bolsover' because of his rebellious and curmudgeonly reputation.
He was chairman of the Labour Party from 1988 to 1989 and has sat on the
National Executive CommitteeThe National Executive Committee or NEC is the chief administrative body of the UK Labour Party. Its composition has changed over the years, and includes representatives of affiliated trade unions, the Parliamentary Labour Party and European Parliamentary Labour Party, Constituency Labour Parties,...
in most years since 1978. He identifies with the left of his party, is a member of the
Socialist Campaign GroupThe Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1981 by Tony Benn's supporters in that year's deputy leadership election in a break from the Tribune Group, whose other members had abstained.The Campaign Group, as it...
, and was once described by the "Bagehot" opinion column in the
The EconomistThe Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in an office in the City of Westminster, London. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843. While The Economist calls itself a...
as a "hard-left oddball".
Margaret ThatcherMargaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She is the only woman to have held either post....
has called Skinner a "marvellous parliamentarian".
Early life
Born in
Clay CrossClay Cross is a former mining town and civil parish in the North East Derbyshire district of Derbyshire, England, about six miles south of Chesterfield. It is directly on the A61, the former Roman road Ryknield Street...
,
DerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains...
, 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
minerA miner is a person whose work or business it is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. It is considered one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners often do not have social guarantees and in case of destruction or mutilations they are left to the mercy of...
, although he won a place at
TuptonTupton is a village in North East Derbyshire, Derbyshire, England, 4½ miles south of Chesterfield. It lies just north of Clay Cross on the A61 which runs from Chesterfield to Alfreton. It comprises the areas of Old Tupton and New Tupton. However, it is generally referred to as Tupton...
Grammar SchoolA grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and some other English-speaking countries, originally schools teaching classical languages but more recently academically-oriented types of secondary school.The original purpose of...
(now called
Tupton Hall SchoolTupton Hall School is one of the largest secondary schools in the North East Derbyshire district with a large body of students and one of the largest sixth forms in the county.-Grammar School:...
) when he was 11. He was a miner from 1949 to 1970, first at Parkhouse Colliery in Clay Cross until 1962 when it closed, and then at Glapwell Colliery near
ChesterfieldChesterfield is a market town and a borough of Derbyshire, England. It lies north of the city of Derby, on a confluence of the rivers Rother and Hipper. Including Staveley, the population is 100,879, although that of the town itself is 70,260...
. He joined the Labour Party in 1956.
He later attended Ruskin College,
OxfordOxford is a city, and the county town of Oxfordshire, in South East England. The city has a population of just under 165,000, with 151,000 living within the district boundary. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through Oxford and meet south of the city centre...
in 1967 after doing a preparatory course run by the
NUMNum may refer to:*Num , a god of Samoyedic peoples*Khnum, a god of Egyptian mythology*Mios Num, an island of western New Guinea*Num, NepalNUM*National Union of Mineworkers...
at the
University of SheffieldThe University of Sheffield is a leading research university, located in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. Ranked within the World's top 70 Universities published by THE - QS World University Rankings and constantly ranked amongst the top 20 universities in Britain and Europe according to The...
. He was a councillor on Derbyshire County Council from 1964 to 1970, and a Clay Cross councillor from 1960 to 1970. He became leader of the Derbyshire area of the National Union of Mineworkers between 1966 and 1970.
Member of Parliament
He is one of few members whose politics remain very strongly class-based. During the years when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister, he persistently argued that the Labour Party should fight for the working-class as strongly as he thought the
ConservativesThe Conservative and Unionist Party, more commonly known as the Conservatives, the Conservative Party, or Tory Party is a conservative political party in the United Kingdom...
were fighting for the middle-class. He was a strong supporter of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) and its then leader,
Arthur ScargillArthur Scargill is a former British trade union and political party leader. He was the President of the National Union of Mineworkers from 1981 to 2000 and before that leader of the Yorkshire Area. He led the union through the 1984-85 miners' strike, a key event in British trade union and...
, in
the year-long miners' strike of 1984-85The UK Miners' Strike was major industrial action affecting the British coal industry. It was a defining moment in British industrial relations, and its defeat significantly weakened the British trades union movement...
. Later, Skinner and Scargill diverged when the latter was involved with forming the
Socialist Labour PartyThe Socialist Labour Party is a socialist political party in the United Kingdom. The party is led by former trade union leader Arthur Scargill, who established it in 1996 as a breakaway from the Labour Party...
. In November 1990, after Thatcher had announced her resignation and while she was defending the government against a motion of no confidence, veteran
Liberal DemocratThe Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems or just Liberals, are a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom, formed in 1988 by a merger of the Liberal Party and the Social Democratic Party; the two parties had been in alliance for seven years, from shortly after the formation of...
Member of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a parliament. In many countries the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a unique title, such as senate, and thus also have unique titles for its members, such as senators. Members of...
(MP)
Alan BeithSir Alan James Beith , is a British politician, and the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed.-Early life:Alan Beith was born in 1943 in Poynton, Cheshire...
(then Treasury Spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats) asked a question about the
European Central BankThe European Central Bank is one of the world's most important central banks, responsible for monetary policy covering the 16 member States of the Eurozone. It was established by the European Union in 1998 with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany.-History:Technically the predecessor to the ECB...
, and Skinner quipped "No, she's going to be the Governor".
He often tells the (possibly apocryphal)
anecdoteAn anecdote is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. It may be as brief as the setting and provocation of a bon mot. An anecdote is supposed to be based on a real incident involving actual persons, whether famous or not...
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
pairingPairing is a system whereby two members of parliament from opposing political parties may agree to abstain where one member is unable to vote, due to other commitments, illness, travel problems, etc...
system in which he can pair with a Conservative MP and if one misses a vote, he will abstain, saying he won't cover for them whilst they "go swanning off to Ascot or to their
boardroomsA board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. The body sometimes has a different name, such as board of trustees, board of governors, board of managers, or executive board...
". In the 2004-2005 sitting of the House he claimed the least expenses for an MP who served the full year. He has never been a member of an
All-Party Parliamentary GroupAn All-Party Parliamentary Group is a grouping in the Parliament of the United Kingdom composed of politicians from all political parties.-All-Party Parliamentary Group:...
; does not eat alongside parliamentary colleagues in the Commons dining room; does not take trips or vacations 'paid for' by others; never drinks in the Commons Bar; and stays in the House of Commons during the
Queen's SpeechA speech from the throne is an event in certain monarchies in which the monarch reads a prepared speech to a complete session of Parliament, outlining the government's agenda for the coming year. This event is often held annually, although in some places it may occur more or less frequently...
at the
State Opening of ParliamentIn the United Kingdom, the State Opening of Parliament is an annual event that marks the commencement of a session of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is held in the House of Lords Chamber, usually in November or December, or in a General Election year, when the new Parliament first assembles...
, as he advocates outright abolition of the
House of LordsThe House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords". Parliament comprises the Sovereign, the House of Commons , and the Lords...
.
He frequently takes a liberal stance regarding social issues. Having voted for gay rights on every single bill in the House, Skinner has established himself as a leading MP advocating equality for homosexuals. Furthermore, throughout his career he has maintained a strongly
pro-choicePro-choice describes the political and ethical view that a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy. This entails the guarantee of reproductive rights, which includes access to sexual education; access to safe and legal abortion,...
stance on
abortionAn abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo. An abortion can occur spontaneously due to complications during pregnancy or can be induced, in humans and other species...
. On several occasions he has enabled the defeat of moves to reduce the number of weeks at which the operation can be legally performed in
BritainThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, by talking out the measure (filibustering) and other tactics. One such example was on January 20, 1989, when he held up proceedings by trying to move a
writIn law, a writ is a formal written order issued by a body with administrative or judicial jurisdiction; in modern usage, this public body is generally a court. Warrants, prerogative writs and subpoenas are types of writs; there are many others.-History:...
for a
by-electionA by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections...
in the constituency of
Richmond (Yorks)Richmond is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
, which was incidentally won by later Conservative leader
William HagueWilliam Jefferson Hague is a British politician. He is the Conservative Member of Parliament for Richmond , Shadow Foreign Secretary and Senior Member of the Shadow Cabinet...
. He has explained his views by noting that his mother was often pregnant.
Skinner has demonstrated that he is willing to vote against government policy produced by his own party, choosing to remain classically left-wing and rebelling on notable issues. In 2003 he joined the sizeable number of Labour MPs who voted against the
Iraq WarThe Iraq War, also known as the Occupation of Iraq or Operation Iraqi Freedom, is an ongoing military campaign which began on March 20, 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a multinational force led by troops from the United States and the United Kingdom.Prior to the war, the governments of the United...
, further, he later went on to rebel against the party line when he chose to vote against government policy that intended to allow terror suspects to be detained without trial for 90 days. Skinner has also rebelled against his party on other issues; in March 2007 he joined the 88 other Labour MPs who voted against government policy to renew the Trident Nuclear Missile System. Skinner remains loyal to the old Labour policies on which he originally was elected into office, and which can be reflected by his membership of the
Socialist Campaign GroupThe Socialist Campaign Group is a left-wing grouping of Labour Party Members of Parliament in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1981 by Tony Benn's supporters in that year's deputy leadership election in a break from the Tribune Group, whose other members had abstained.The Campaign Group, as it...
.
He is known for his
republicanRepublicanism in the United Kingdom is the movement which seeks to remove the British monarchy and replace it with a republic that has a non-hereditary head of state...
(i.e., anti-monarchist) sentiments, although unlike other Labour left-wingers such as
Tony BennAnthony "Tony" Neil Wedgwood Benn , formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British, democratic socialist politician, and the current President of the Stop the War Coalition....
,
Kevin McNamaraDr Kevin McNamara KSG is a British Labour Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament for almost 40 years.-Early life:...
,
Ken LivingstoneKenneth Robert Livingstone is an English politician; he has twice held the leading political role in London local government, firstly as Leader of the Greater London Council from 1981 until the council was abolished in 1986 by the government of Margaret Thatcher, and secondly as the first Mayor of...
and
Clare ShortClare Short is a British politician, and a member of the Labour Party. She is currently the Independent Member of Parliament for Birmingham Ladywood, having been elected as a Labour Party MP in 1983 but resigning the whip in 2004. She was Secretary of State for International Development in the...
, he has never publicly expressed support for
Irish republicanismSinn Féin is a political party in Ireland. The current party, led by Gerry Adams, was formed following a split in January 1970 and traces its origins back to the original Sinn Féin party formed in 1905. It is a major party of Irish republicanism and its political ideology is left wing...
.
Usually sitting on the first seat of the front bench below the gangway in the Commons (known as the "Awkward Squad Bench" due to the fact that it is where rebel
Labour PartyThe Labour Party is a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom. Founded at the start of the 20th century, it has been seen since 1920 as the principal party of the Left in England, Scotland and Wales, but not Northern Ireland, where it has only recently begun to organise again...
MPs have traditionally sat) in a distinctive tweed jacket (whilst most other MPs wear suits) and signature red tie, he gained the sobriquet "the Beast of Bolsover" for falling foul of the procedures of Parliament, many of which are in his view archaic and contemptible.
Suspensions
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
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a UK cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889...
John GummerJohn Selwyn Gummer MP, born , is a British politician, and Conservative MP for Suffolk Coastal. He is chairman of the environmental consultancy company Sancroft International. He is also a non-executive director and regular columnist for the Catholic Herald.-Early life:John Gummer was one of the...
as "slimy" and a "wart".
- In 1995, accusing the government of a "crooked deal" to sell off Britain's coal mines.
- On 8 December 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 originally published in the Sunday Mirror of cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system and an appetite suppressant...
use by the Shadow ChancellorThe Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The title is in the gift of the Leader of the Opposition but is informal. The Shadow Chancellor has no constitutional...
, George OsborneGeorge Gideon Oliver Osborne is a Conservative Party politician in the United Kingdom, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001. He is currently Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. He is heir to the Osborne baronetcy of Ballentaylor, County Tipperary, Ireland...
(though, in the Commons, Skinner referred to the News of the WorldThe News of the World is a British tabloid newspaper published every Sunday. It is published by News Group Newspapers of News International, itself a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, and can be considered the Sunday sister paper of The Sun. The newspaper concentrates on...
).
- On 20 April 2006, accusing Deputy Speaker Sir Alan Haselhurst
Sir Alan Gordon Barraclough Haselhurst is a British politician. He is the Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Saffron Walden...
of leniency towards remarks made by opposition frontbencher Theresa MayTheresa Mary May MP, née Brasier is a British politician, former chairman of the Conservative Party, and Member of Parliament for Maidenhead...
"because she's a Tory".
Queen's Speech "jokes"
Skinner has traditionally cracked "jokes", usually about the Royal Family, during the annual Queen's Speech ceremony. He does this upon the arrival of
Black RodThe Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod, generally shortened to just Black Rod, is an official in the parliaments of a number of Commonwealth countries. The position originates in the House of Lords of the Parliament of the United Kingdom...
(the symbol of Royal authority in the
House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
) to summon MPs to hear the Queen's speech in the House of Lords.
- On arrival of Black Rod quipping "I bet he drinks Carling Black Label"; a reference to an advertising campaign at the time
- In 1992, he said to Black Rod "Tell her to pay her taxes"; at the time, this was an important political issue.
- In 1997, he shouted "New Labour, New Black Rod". A reference to Labour's election campaign slogan "New Labour, New Britain".
- In 2000, he shouted out "Tell her to read the Guardian!" - the Guardian
The Guardian is a British daily newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. Founded in 1821, it is unique among major British newspapers in being owned by a foundation .The Guardian Weekly, which circulates worldwide, provides a compact digest of four newspapers...
newspaper was campaigning at the time to repeal various laws relating to the monarchy.
- In 2003, he suggested that the Speaker
The term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the powers to discipline members who break the...
"bar the doors" after Black Rod had arrived, a practice that is used to block late-arriving MPs from casting their votes after the division bellA division bell is a bell rung in or around a parliament to signal a division and thus call all members of the chamber so affected to vote in it.- In the United Kingdom :...
s have been sounded. The tongue-in-cheek suggestion by Skinner was scoffed at by Speaker Michael MartinMichael John Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, PC is a British politician. He was a Labour Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East from 1979 and was the Speaker of the House of Commons from 2000, until his resignation from both posts in 2009.On his election to the post of Speaker in 2000 he...
.
- In 2005, Skinner shouted out, after Black Rod summoned the Commons to hear the Queen, "has she brought Camilla [the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales is the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1952, he has been heir apparent to the thrones of the Commonwealth realms. After earning a bachelor of arts from Trinity College, Cambridge, Charles served a tour of duty with Royal Navy...
] with her?"; there had been media rumours that the Queen and Camilla were not on good terms.
- In 2006, Skinner responded to Black Rod's invitation with "Is Helen Mirren on standby?", in reference to the portrayal by Helen Mirren
Dame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Emmy Awards during her career.-Family:...
of Elizabeth IIElizabeth II is the queen regnant of sixteen independent states known informally as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,...
in the 2006 film, The QueenThe Queen is a British-based drama film directed by Stephen Frears, written by Peter Morgan, and starring Helen Mirren as the title role, HM Queen Elizabeth II...
. The BBC political commentator Huw EdwardsHuw Edwards is a Welsh BAFTA award-winning journalist, presenter and newsreader.He is a news presenter for BBC News in the United Kingdom. Huw presents Britain's most-watched news programme, BBC News at Ten, which is also the corporation's flagship news broadcast...
called the quip "cheap but funny".
- In 2007, he asked "Who shot the harriers?" referring to a recent event in Sandringham
Sandringham can refer to:Places*Sandringham, Johannesburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa*Sandringham, Norfolk, a village in Norfolk, England*Sandringham House in the aforementioned village, owned by the British Royal Family...
, where two protected harriersThe Hen Harrier or Northern Harrier is a bird of prey. It breeds throughout the northern parts of the northern hemisphere in Canada and the northernmost USA, and in northern Eurasia. This species is polytypic, with two subspecies. Marsh Hawk is a disused name for the American form.It migrates to...
had been shot near a royal property. Prince Harry and a friend had been questioned by police over the incident.
- In 2008, he asked, "any Tory moles at the Palace?", referring to the recent arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green
Damian Howard Green is a British politician who has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Ashford since 1997. He came to national prominence after being arrested and having his parliamentary office raided in November 2008...
in connection with an investigation about him receiving confidential information from a civil servant at the Home OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security and order. As such it is responsible for the police, United Kingdom Borders Agency and MI5. It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs, counter-terrorism...
who was formerly a Conservative Party candidate. To which Black Rod quipped, "I shall miss you, Dennis", receiving laughter from other MPs. The 2008 State Opening of Parliament was Michael WillcocksLieutenant General Sir Michael Alan Willcocks, KCB, CVO was until 30 April 2009 the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Lords. This title is generally shortened to Black Rod....
' last as Black Rod.
Personal life
He is the third son (of nine children) of Edward Skinner and Lucy Dudley. He married Mary Parker in 1960. They had one son (born 1962 and also called Dennis) and two daughters (Dawn born 1960 and Mandy born 1966). He separated from her in 1989. A few years later he moved in with his researcher. They have cohabited since at least 1993. He underwent a double
heart bypassCoronary artery bypass surgery, also coronary artery bypass graft surgery, and colloquially heart bypass or bypass surgery is a surgical procedure performed to relieve angina and reduce the risk of death from coronary artery disease...
operation in March 2003 at the
Royal Brompton HospitalThe Royal Brompton Hospital, commonly known as The Brompton, is a specialist heart and lung hospital in Brompton, London. Along with Harefield Hospital it became the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust in 2009 after a campaign for trust status led by actor Joanna Lumley and internally...
in London and has had
bladder cancerBladder cancer refers to any of several types of malignant growths of the urinary bladder. It is a disease in which abnormal cells multiply without control in the bladder. The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that stores urine; it is located in the pelvis...
. He lives in
South NormantonSouth Normanton is a medium-sized ex-mining village two miles east of Alfreton, Derbyshire and approximately 100 meters higher above sea level than Alfreton Town.The historic industries of the village were agriculture, stocking, spinning and mining....
,
DerbyshireDerbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains...
.
Other quotes
"Tell the House of Lords to go to hell."
- - During the 2004 fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase, and sometimes killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds, and a group of followers led by a master of foxhounds, who follow the hounds on foot or on horseback.Fox hunting originated in the United...
debate in the House of CommonsThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
.
"I thought you were taking Marquand with you."
- - Heckling Roy Jenkins
Roy Harris Jenkins, Baron Jenkins of Hillhead OM, PC was a British politician. Once prominent as a Labour Member of Parliament and government minister in the 1960s and 1970s, he became the first British President of the European Commission and one of the four principal founders of the Social...
in 1976 when, during his farewell speech to the Parliamentary Labour PartyIn UK politics, the Parliamentary Labour Party is the parliamentary party of the Labour Party in Parliament: Labour MPs as a collective body....
before leaving to become President of the European CommissionThe President of the European Commission is the most powerful office in the European Union, as the head of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. The President is responsible for allocating portfolios to members of the Commission and can reshuffle or fire them if needed...
, he said: "I leave this party without rancour". Jenkins, who famously pronounced his Rs like WsA lisp is a speech impediment, historically also known as sigmatism. Stereotypically, people with a lisp are unable to pronounce sibilants , and replace them with interdentals , though there are actually several kinds of lisps...
, left the Commons at the same time as David MarquandDavid Ian Marquand FBA is a British academic and former Labour Party Member of Parliament .Born in Cardiff, Marquand was educated at Emanuel School, Magdalen College, Oxford, St. Antony’s College, Oxford, and at the University of California, Berkeley...
, the MP for AshfieldAshfield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.In normal circumstances a safe Labour area, the Conservatives pulled off a by-election upset in the seat in 1977, but at the general election two years later it was regained by Labour...
and a close ally of Jenkins.
"Does my hon. Friend agree that when millions of parents and others in Britain are wrestling with the problems of drug abuse among young people, and when the Government are trying to do their level best to tackle those problems, it is a sad state of affairs that the Tory Opposition receive £1 million a year from one of the biggest drug runners in the west?" [Members of the House: "Oh."] Is it not high time that the Leader of the Opposition had the guts to get rid of him?"
- - Dennis Skinner, referring to allegations about Michael Ashcroft at the time
"When I called the Right Hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (
Dr. OwenDavid Anthony Llewellyn Owen, Baron Owen CH PC FKC is a British politician and Chancellor of the University of Liverpool.He was one of the founders of the British Social Democratic Party . He led the SDP from 1983 to 1987 and the re-formed SDP from 1988 to 1990...
) a pompous sod, Mr. Speaker said to me, 'You had better withdraw that'. I said I would withdraw 'pompous', but said, Mr.
SpeakerIn 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 present Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin.The Speaker...
'That's not the word I'm looking for.' There was laughter in the
HouseThe House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 646 members, who are known as "Members...
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."
"The Hon. Gentleman is making pretty heavy weather of the fact that he was kicked out of this gentleman's club for 20 days. I call it a gentlemen's club, but it is known as the mother of Parliaments, although only about 42 women are allowed in here. The Hon. Gentleman is complaining that he got 20 days. His real problem is the fact that he is not the Tory Party candidate at the next election - and that has nothing to do with what happened in this place.
I have been kicked out of this place about seven times, but I did not have any chance to explain. No one said to me, "Dennis, will you explain why you said that the Right Hon. Member for
ChingfordChingford was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Chingford in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from Feb 1974 until it was abolished for the 1997 general election...
(
Mr. TebbitNorman Beresford Tebbit, Baron Tebbit CH, PC is a British Conservative politician and former Member of Parliament for Chingford, who was born in Southgate in Enfield...
) was lining his pockets when he picked up that non-executive directorship of British Telecom?" I would have loved to tell everyone all about that, but Mr. Speaker said, "On your bike - early bath," and off I had to go.
I accused the noble Lord,
Lord PymFrancis Leslie Pym, Baron Pym MC, PC was a British Conservative Party politician who, during his political career, held several Cabinet positions....
, when he was a Member of this House, of being the Minister for Unemployment because there were nearly 2 million people on the scrap heap - that pile of human misery known as the dole queue. Again, I was not able to make a speech before Mr. Speaker sent me out.
Those were all genuine statements that I had to make. The Hon. Member for Winchester (
Mr. BrowneJohn Ernest Douglas Delavalette Browne is a British politician.Browne was Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Winchester from 1979 to 1992. He was educated at Malvern College and Sandhurst, subsequently serving as a Captain in the Grenadier Guards from 1959 to 1967...
) was kicked out for 20 days because he lined his pockets with about £50,000 and did not put it in the register as he is supposed to do, and now he is whingeing but I reckon he got away with blue murder!"
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