I wish Dennis Skinner was MY Member of Parliament. Sadly we have to make do here with some buffoon called David Cameron ...

dennis skinner is my MP. i'm proud and honoured to have him. he's often walking around the highstreet talking to folk. he's helped so many. other's should stand up and take notice.

Anyone that makes inane comments that MPs should be limited to 3 terms clearly misunderstands the nature of parliamentary politics. If such a system had been in place in the past, the nation would have been robbed of political talents as important and diverse as Tony Benn and Wniston Churchill. One would also note that Skinner is an exemplary constituency MP, and, refreshing in these days of sleaze, not 'on the make'.

Oh dear. Once more for the hard of thinking, then. I accept that he's a good bloke and a good MP, and is brilliantly capable of walking and talking at the same time. He's a convinced republican, as am I. Nevertheless, the wicked old fraud said that he would retire at 65, and he didn't. He'll be 83 if this Parliament runs to a full five years. He is just sitting there in his sinecure, mouthing off his predictable and fatuous little jokes like a banged-out music hall comic. He should have kept to his word and stepped aside for a younger replacement who could shake up the Commons as he used to.

Gladstone was still going strong at 80, but Skinner is no Galdsone. He's now part of the furniture. Skinner probably achieved his peak 30 odd years ago and has been coasting it ever since. Surely even he can see the necessity of giving way. When can we expect a bye election?
Tony Benn thought he could do more outside Parliament than in it and he's right, several tombs of autobiography, the lecture circuit and constant TV appearances maintain his place as the No1 conscience of the Left.
That other famous Republican Donald Rumsfeldt came out with his book of infamous quotations. When are we going to get Skinners 'Words' Autobiography.

The young can wait for their turn, as they did in previous generations. High time some of the half-baked brats who currently spin the world stood aside to make room for people with lifelong experience.

Danny imagines that Churchill saved the world and that Tony Benn might consider lacing his or Churchill's boots!! Dream on,sonny!
In 1945 the servicemen and women who REALLY saved the world,(one of whom was Tony Benn, who was one of our bravest pilots in WW2)threw him out of office.
Long may there be true REAL Labour MPs like Dennis Skinner. I saw the opening of Parliament on TV and there were huge roars of laughter at his "Royal" asides. Obviously more MPs agree with him than will admit it(on ALL sides of the House)

I think Albert should go easy on Den. A man's entitled to change his mind... ask Vince Cable. He changed his before he changed his underpants when the offer of a Ministerial limo loomed in to view.

No Black Rod today George. Yeoman of the Guard in his place.

The people who are saying Dennis Skinner is stopping young talent from coming through may wish to consider that the talent may not be ready for office, at least not in the constituency he serves. Taking the 2010 election campaign as an example, here is what we got offered:

UKIP - sent out nothing. Online research revealed the candidate's name and the local paper's election feature repeated party policy without indication of what would be done for Bolsover or the candidate's *personal* beliefs.

BNP - sent a flyer. The one that arrived at my house didn't even mention the candidate's name. Said candidate didn't submit anything to the local paper's election feature.

Liberal Democrats - sent a flyer that mentioned a little bit about the candidate and a couple of vague references to what would be done for Bolsover. Although the piece sent to the local paper was long, the expansion was entirely national-level.

Conservatives - sent a large flyer with lots of information. Unfortunately it gave the impression that the same flyer with changed location names and biographies had been sent throughout the UK. Finding out that he is a Westminster councillor (rather than a local) may not have helped matters. The local paper article featured some vague ideas and unlike the previous three, there were some eye-catching banners for supporters.

Labour - sent two adverts. One was a full-page flyer outlining Dennis' platform (mostly "I can be relied upon to do a decent bread-and-butter job of politics" rather than anything policy-related)- after half the page had been devoted to a call to register and use the vote! The second was a double-sided flyer more along the lines of the other parties, but it was focused on what Dennis would do for his constituency and didn't dwell too much on his party (good tactic; everyone I've spoken to on politics, whatever their constituency, was somewhat annoyed with Labour). The newspaper article would have summarised well for those who didn't get the political mail-outs...

Also, Dennis made a point of touring the constituency's old people's homes and similar locations. No other candidate bothered to tour their proposed constituency so throughly. Skinner isn't Gladstone, but compared to what we've seen of the alternatives he might as well be.

In short, if the other candidates can't run a campaign well enough for voters to feel confident about them as individuals, that leaves them fighting purely on their party beliefs - never a big pull in a constituency largely populated by working-class people. And anyone who is relying on being "the face of their party" is unlikely to be seen to do their job well enough to get a second term. Indeed, while there are people like Dennis who know how to campaign, they're unlikely to get a first term!

Dennis may have promised to step down 18 years ago, but it's clear that if he had done so the constituency would be represented by a worse candiate (whichever party he or she represented). Add to that the horror stories from other parts of the country and the emergence of New Labour (meaning Dennis' successor in the party will probably not think in ways so compatible with Bolsover's people) and it just cements the impression that Dennis Skinner is still needed as an MP. What reasonable politician would want to leave a role where he or she is needed? People can see their error and change their mind to correct it, after all.

Oh, and when Tony Benn left office, his constituency went through three parties in three terms and is still struggling to find a representative it wants to retain. This may have been a factor in Dennis staying as an MP.

night night dennis

I recall that the dreadful old buffoon promised, ages ago and possibly on first being elected as an MP, that he would retire as a Member at 65 "t'same as I would 'ave ter if I were still working down t'pit" (or words to that effect).

He's 78 now, still sitting there mouthing off his tired old class-war slogans, the only one thinking he's funny while everyone else chuckles indulgently, as they would at the loony on the bus.

Dennis Skinner is a hard working and respected MP.

He has been an MP for 40 years and still won 50% of the vote in his seat despite a big swing to the Tories.

Dear Jeremiah,

I am sure that he is a hard-working MP; his constituents keep voting for him. I accept that he may well be respected. He is sincere in his principles. Incidentally, I am as passionate a republican as he is, although I despise his boorish expression of it. I was merely reminding folk that he made an undertaking to retire 13 years ago, and has failed to keep it.

'glad to hear the member opposite actually does his duty in his matrimonial bed'...

If his local party didn't want him to stand He wouldn't, thats why he is still there. I would have him as my MP tomorrow. All these estate agent, media savvy types in the house have killed democracy & the voice of the real people only one voice Dennis Skinner rings true. Bring on more like him, less spin just kick em in the shin! Well done Dennis keep it up.

@swatantra & Albert.

Maybe you two should call Nick Clegg and get term limits placed in his package of "reforms" to our unwritten constitution.

I can just see MPs of all parties voting themselves out of a job!

Well said James!