Political living legend Dennis Skinner reportedly was ill at the weekend but is now resting at home. Mr Skinner, 84, is admired, loved, loathed, feared and more. It may depend on your political persuasion and if you have been on the receiving end of his firebrand variety of politics. He has been a thorn in the side of many a Tory party leader and quite a few leaders of his own Labour Party. The so-called Beast of Bolsover has served his constituents well since 1970 and will be a hard act to follow. But sometime in the hopefully distant future 'our Dennis' must retire or pass on from this world. The latter happens to us all sooner or later. Just last week though Skinner was showing he still has political fire in his belly as he pointedly called out 'hands of our BBC' at the state opening of parliament. That led to right-wing social media outbursts that the BBC has always been a left-wing mouthpiece but nothing is further from the truth in 2016. But Mr Skinner recognises that the BBC is a great national treasure worth protecting and fighting for its independence. Dennis is a rare politician in 2016. A true man of the people who was born into an ordinary household in a mining community, working down those same coal mines ahead of his political career. He understands the various challenges that face ordinary men, women and children in a way that Cameron's old Etonian Cabinet never can. He has never aspired to cosy up to royals or to getting settled in the House of Lords. If Jeremy Corbyn had been elected leader of the Labour Party even a decade or two ago the two men and the late Tony Benn could have led a True Labour Party rather than a New Labour Party. But while he is still able Mr Skinner will give David Cameron and his government a run for their money. In late April he told a grinning clown, Tory Minister for Health Jeremy Hunt to wipe that smirk off his face as the junior doctor crisis deepened. So Dennis Skinner we, your legion of faithful followers, fans and voters, wish you a speedy recovery. If there comes a time you feel you have to step down as MP we will understand but will sorely miss your humour, compassion, fire and good sense. Get well soon 'our Dennis'. http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/beast-of-bolsover-dennis-skinner-resting-after-hospital-stay-1-7925617
http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/eileen-kersey/cameron-ageist-toward-dennis-skinner-what-about-the-queen http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/british-political-scene/dennis-skinner-dodgy-dave-accuser-attracts-more-fans http://www.newtekjournalismukworld.com/british-political-scene/double-standards-and-high-flying-commons-hypocrisy Check out Mr Skinner's https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sailing-Close-Wind-Dennis-Skinner/dp/1784291234 for a great read
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A calmer Dennis Skinner July 2015 Op-ed: Living legend Dennis Skinner has been at it again. This time Dennis told Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to wipe 'that smirk from your face' as the row over the Junior Doctor's new working contracts deepened. Tuesday junior doctors walked out on strike in what will be two-day all out industrial action. That is unprecedented for the NHS. But for the record they are only striking between the hours of 8am and 5pm on each of the days. The last major junior doctor's strike before the recent flurry of industrial action occurred in 1975; at that time it was a Labour government under Harold Wilson. In the House of Commons Monday Jeremy Hunt tried to lay the blame for the current industrial action anywhere but at his door. It is safe to say the government will not give in on this one at least not without a fight. They hope that more strikes from junior doctors will lead to a tragedy. In effect they are playing with our lives. The Tory government will sit back and wait for public opinion to shift in their favour; in months the new intake of junior doctors will begin work for the NHS and if the government has its way it will be with new working contracts in place. Once new working contracts are implemented the government hopes to move on to other NHS staff. In the Commons Monday Hunt tried to say that junior doctors were working against the wishes of the people. He cited the Tories election pledge of a seven-day NHS once again cherry picking from that manifesto. "The first line on the first page of this government's manifesto said if elected we would create a 7-day NHS," Hunt said. "No trade union has a right to veto a manifesto promise voted for by the British people." But they do; it depends how any government tries to fulfil its election promises and this time it is by foul means. Many election promises melt into nothing but those that suit are spun and spun again. And the Tories may be in government but they did not win a true majority representative of all the people. Hunt pathetically and insincerely begged junior doctors not to strike when he appeared in the Commons Monday but Hunt, or is that the Tories, refused to accept a cross party solution; a deal brokered by Shadow Health Secretary Heidi Alexander and backed by a Tory former Health Minister, the Royal College of Surgeons, Lib Dems and the SNP. Make no mistake changing working contracts for NHS staff has little to do with meeting an election manifesto pledge and all to do with Tory plans for a privatised NHS. Hunt has been shown to be a waste of space, time and money even being 'chauffeured 50 yards to avoid a Downing Street doctors protest' Monday. Tories may have opted to shout 'shame' when the Beast of Bolsover Labour MP Dennis Skinner, yelled, "Wipe that smirk off your face!" but we were with him in spirit. The Daily Mirror reported "Mr Skinner told MPs: "There's a smirk and arrogance about him that almost betrays the fact he's delighted in taking part in this activity. “He could start negotiations today - wipe that smirk off his face!" And how many watching wanted to wipe it off for him? Also: Emergency care will still be available during junior doctors' strike, BMA says Who is Jeremy Hunt, a career of cock ups Hunt imposes new working contracts on NHS Junior Docs Dennis Skinner all guns blazing
Op-ed: As a lifelong admirer of the 'Beast of Bolsover' aka Labour MP Dennis Skinner I am not surprised that our friends across the Pond are just waking up to this phenomenal politician and campaigner. Dennis like Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn is well-known for sticking to his guns. He may have had plenty of politicians who have not liked him down the years but I doubt there are many people who do not admire him. When he called UK PM Dodgy Dave in the Commons this week he knew exactly what he was doing. For many people across the UK Cameron will always be Dodgy Dave. That phrase has been a popular hashtag in tweets on social media attacking Cameron for some time. Perhaps it was Mr Skinner who coined the phrase as he has certainly used it in the Commons previously and been ejected for doing so. But in 2016 politics it appears to be OK for Tory Ministers to catcall Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn by shouting 'Who are ya' at the Labour leader as they mouthy overgrown children fall about in hoots of laughter. 'Shut up a ya face' is it seems was an acceptable shout as Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell addressed the house. It was also OK for Cameron aka Dodgy Dave to call Mr Skinner Jurassic at one time. But it is good to know that HoC hypocrisy has gone viral globally. It is obvious who will come up smelling of roses. Our American friends will like the fact an 84-year-old politician, a former miner from a coal mining community, called Cameron out and was ejected like a naughty child. Other countries offer their elder generations and politicians respect unlike here in the UK. Here are just a few of Mr Skinners' best quotes: On the Tory Party: He said "Half the Tory members opposite are crooks" and was told to withdraw the remark. He did and replaced it with "OK, half the Tory members aren’t crooks." To Roy Jenkins, leader, Who Pronounced His Rs as Ws: Roy said "I leave this party without rancour" to which Dennis replied "I thought you were taking Marquand with you." On Tory Chancellor George Osborne: Is my right hon. friend aware that in the 1970s and a lot of the 1980s, we would have thanked our lucky stars in the coalfield areas for growth of 1.75 per cent? The only thing growing then were the lines of coke in front of boy George and the rest of them. On Calling an MP "A Pompous Sod": Speaker: You had better withdraw that. Skinner: I withdraw the word pompous. Speaker: That’s not the word I’m looking for. Skinner: I can’t withdraw both. This got him thrown out of the Parliamentary session. Related: Happy birthday Dennis Skinner political hero and funny man Cameron ageist toward Dennis Skinner what about toward the Queen Double standards and high flying Commons hypocrisy Theresa May to heed Battle of Orgreave campaigners Op-ed: Westminster parliament finally got back to work Monday after a long Easter break. High on the agenda was the fall out of the panama leaks scandal. It was a damage limitations exercise for PM Cameron, his Chancellor and most of his MPs. As slippery as an eel Cameron slithered on and off the hook a few times but his reputation is forever tarnished and he has lost the trust of many people around the UK. Many like me never had any trust in 'Call Me Dave' in the first place. The Commons debate was a mixture of many things with double standards and hypocrisy riding the crest of a wave. Veteran Labour politician Dennis Skinner was thrown out of the chamber for calling a spade a spade or rather PM David Cameron Dodgy Dave. Skinner's 'red card' highlighted Commons' hypocrisy when the PM is allowed to disrespect Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn by telling him by proxy to do up his shirt, put on a tie and sing the national anthem and simply attracts hoots of laughter. That incident was reported by the Guardian as follows "Dave let rip: “I know what my mother would say. I think she’d look across the dispatch box and she’d say: ‘Put on a proper suit, do up your tie and sing the national anthem’” in a piece that was aptly titled "David Cameron lets his mask slip with 'do up your tie' jibe at Corbyn." When a Tory backbencher and his pals looking and sounding for all the world as if they are in a drunken football thugs stupor attacked Mr Corbyn with 'Who are ya Corbyn' they were allowed to continue. We reported at the time "It is sickening to read in the Independent that Tory backbenches opted to try once again to drown out the words of the leader of the Labour Party, the official political opposition in the Commons but this time they overstepped the public school bully boy mark. Chanting 'who are ya' as Mr Corbyn began to speak shows the Tories in all their despicable glory. A bunch of hoodlums who do not respect democracy or our parliament. Neither do they respect the electorate many of whom will have tuned in." House speaker John Bercow, Conservative, was the speaker of the day on both of those occasions but he failed to hold Cameron or his MPs to account. Perhaps calling Cameron Dodgy Dave was a step too far and not really funny as it had more than a ring of truth to it. It certainly hit the mark for many people as Dodgy Dave has become a well-known description of Cameron over the last few years. Either way Mr Skinner, 84, left the chamber like a naughty schoolboy after Bercow spoke to him as we would address a three-year-old child. Dennis Skinner is a giant of a man in all but stature. He has served his constituency well over many years and has humble roots in a coal mining community and as a former coal miner. If you want a glimpse into this man who still refuses to cosy up to the establishment and British royals check out his book "Sailing close to the wind." This is not the first time Mr Skinner has called Cameron Dodgy Dave to his face. In July 2015, during a heated Common's Exchange, as Skinner tried to discuss the closure of Doncaster's Hatfield Colliery, one of Britain's three remaining deep coal mines Mr. Skinner shouted "No wonder they call him Dodgy Dave... A man who went to Eton.." The rest of the MP's pronouncements were drowned out by jeers as Speaker John Bercow tried desperately to restore order reports the Daily Mirror. "It's very good to see the Labour party in full voice cheering on Jurassic Park," joked David Cameron. "I would stick to the movie." So it is OK for Cameron to respond to a jibe with an ageist comment? Monday one low-life MP stood out and that was Tory Sir Alan Duncan. His assessment of low achievers as judged by a lack of wealth really says it all about the British Tory party. If you are working or middle class and fall for the hype shame on you. Monday and into Tuesday #lowachievers and #DodgyDave trended on Twitter and social media as people vented their fury. Has Cameron and his government reached their 'let them eat cake' moment yet or have they raced past it? Saturday a long planned national protest in London will go ahead; it will be supported by last weekend's 'resign Cameron' protesters and more. Alan Duncan high achiever:- Alan Duncan claimed thousands for gardening Alan Duncan links to Libya oil cell William Hague's clumsy friend Alan Duncan Related reading: Happy birthday Dennis Skinner political hero and funny man Theresa May to heed Battle of Orgreave campaigners
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British political scene
The next General Election in the UK may not be scheduled any time soon but the British political landscape is changing. With that in mind this blog will concentrate on the political scene but with a left wing perspective. Opinion pieces and news will bring you the stories that the MSM prefer to ignore. Archives
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