Dennis Skinner finds fans in the US after being ejected from Parliament over 'Dodgy Dave' comment

Americans show their admiration for the 'badass' Beast of Bolsover - and Speaker John Bercow

Heather Saul
Thursday 14 April 2016 08:33 BST
Comments
Skinner kicked out of Commons

While Parliament must seem like some sort of bizarre pantomime across the pond, there is one MP in it whose appeal is proving transatlantic: Dennis Skinner.

The ‘Beast of Bolsover’ was unceremoniously ejected from the House of Commons for branding David Cameron ‘Dodgy Dave’ and refusing to rescind the adjective during a riotous debate.

Their exchange has endeared the yah-boo style of politics to some in the US, with the news and media site Gawker declaring the argument “extremely good s**t” and Mr Skinner’s jab as a “pithy schoolyard nickname”.

“It crescendoes in Skinner delivering a thunderous applause line and then being tossed out of Parliament,” writes Gawker.

"England is.... great?"

Comments suggest Mr Skinner’s jibe has also won him a few American fans.

“Holy sh*t! Speaking of sick burns...Dennis Skinner has a whole section of his Wikipedia devoted to cracks he makes during the Queen’s Speech. Dude DGAF old-school Labour Style,” wrote one.

“I just love this. It’s so British... the disdain, the language, everything. I could watch it twenty times," said another.

Another commenter suggested he was also an admirer of Speaker John Bercow's intevention, saying: "The Speaker, John Bercow, is pretty badass, too, with that sneering 'I don’t require assistance from some junior minister'."

The New York Times also reported on Mr Skinner’s ejection, describing Westminster debates as “rough and tumble affairs”.

Mr Skinner is known for heckling every year seconds before the Queen’s speech, shouting “Coalition's last stand” to bursts of laughter from fellow MPs in 2014.

His viper-tongue quips have seen him ejected from the House of Commons 10 times over the years.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in