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Nicknamed the "Beast of Bolsover", Skinner belonged to the [[Socialist Campaign Group]] of Labour MPs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/dennis-skinner-the-beast-of-bolsover-five-of-his-best-quotes-1-6968531|title=Profile: Dennis Skinner, The Beast of Bolsover, 5 of his Best Quotes|access-date=15 December 2014|location=London|work=The Star|first=Michael|last=Broomhead|date=24 November 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222083854/http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/dennis-skinner-the-beast-of-bolsover-five-of-his-best-quotes-1-6968531|archive-date=22 December 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>[http://www.theweek.co.uk/62692/dennis-skinner-quotes-the-beast-of-bolsover-in-full-flow "Dennis Skinner quotes: the Beast of Bolsover in full flow"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170413070957/http://www.theweek.co.uk/62692/dennis-skinner-quotes-the-beast-of-bolsover-in-full-flow |date=13 April 2017 }}, ''The Week'', 25 February 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2017.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5412667/Dennis-Skinner-claimed-for-accountants-fees-on-MPs-expenses.html|title=Dennis Skinner: claimed for accountants' fees on MPs' expenses|last=Hastings|first=Chris|work=Telegraph.co.uk|access-date=4 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405170358/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5412667/Dennis-Skinner-claimed-for-accountants-fees-on-MPs-expenses.html|archive-date=5 April 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-dennis-skinner/325|title=Mr Dennis Skinner MP|website=UK Parliament|access-date=5 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428203610/https://www.parliament.uk/biographies/commons/mr-dennis-skinner/325/|archive-date=28 April 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> He was one of the longest serving members of the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] and the longest continuously serving Labour MP.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dennis Skinner |url=https://www.ruskin.ac.uk/story/dennis-skinner/ |website=[[Ruskin College]] |access-date=17 February 2021 |archive-date=20 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120005802/https://www.ruskin.ac.uk/story/dennis-skinner/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A lifelong [[Eurosceptic]], Skinner voted for [[Brexit|the UK to leave the European Union]] in [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|the 2016 referendum]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Pidd, Helen |date=8 January 2019 |title='The way the EU treated the UK opened my eyes': Bolsover's Brexit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/08/the-way-the-eu-treated-the-uk-opened-my-eyes-bolsovers-brexit |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210172827/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jan/08/the-way-the-eu-treated-the-uk-opened-my-eyes-bolsovers-brexit |archive-date=10 February 2021 |access-date=3 May 2021 |website=The Guardian}}</ref> Skinner lost his seat to [[Mark Fletcher (politician)|Mark Fletcher]] of the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]], and was succeeded as the Labour candidate for Bolsover by Natalie Fleet.
During his parliamentary career, Skinner was [[Suspension from the UK parliament|suspended from Parliament]] on at least ten occasions, usually for [[unparliamentary language]] when attacking opponents. Perhaps the most notable example of this occurred in 2016, when he referred to [[David Cameron]] as 'Dodgy Dave' during a parliamentary debate about the [[Panama Papers]]. 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 where the Labour Party were in opposition), Skinner would usually sit on the first seat of the front bench below the gangway in the Commons (known as the 'Awkward Squad Bench' because it is where rebel Labour Party MPs have traditionally sat) in a [[tweed]] jacket (whilst most other MPs wear suits) and signature red tie. During the [[New Labour]] government from 1997 to 2010, Skinner sat in the adjacent spot on the government benches.
==Early life and career==
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