About Dennis Skinner
Dennis Edward Skinner (born 11 February 1932) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolsover for 49 years, from 1970 to 2019. A member of the Labour Party, he is known for his left-wing views and republican sentiments. Before entering Parliament, he worked for more than 20 years as a coal miner. Nicknamed the "Beast of Bolsover", Skinner belonged to the Socialist Campaign Group of Labour MPs. He was a member of the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party, with brief breaks, for 30 years, and was the committee's chairman from 1988 to 1989. He was one of the longest serving members of the House of Commons and the longest continuously serving Labour MP. A lifelong Eurosceptic, Skinner voted for the UK to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum. Skinner lost his seat at the 2019 general election to Mark Fletcher of the Conservative Party, and was succeeded as the Labour candidate for Bolsover by Natalie Fleet. During his parliamentary career, Skinner was suspended from Parliament on at least ten occasions, usually for using unparliamentary language when attacking opponents. He was also known for regularly heckling upon the arrival of Black Rod in the House of Commons chamber during the State Opening of Parliament. During most of his tenure in the Commons (in the years when the Labour Party were in opposition), Skinner would usually sit on the first seat of the front bench below the gangway in the Commons in a tweed jacket and signature red tie. During the New Labour government from 1997 to 2010, Skinner sat in the equivalent spot on the government benches. In June 1942, at the age of 10, Skinner won a scholarship to attend Tupton Hall Grammar School after passing the eleven-plus a year early. In 1966, Skinner became the youngest-ever president of the Derbyshire region of the National Union of Mineworkers.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.