Firebrand Skinner thrown out of Commons - again

Dennis Skinner was ejected from the House of Commons yet again yesterday after he accused the deputy speaker of political bias.

The left-wing Labour MP, known as the "beast of Bolsover" for his uncompromising style, has been thrown out more than ten times since 1979, but each time is unrepentant.

Yesterday's incident began when the deputy speaker, Alan Haselhurst, refused to condemn Theresa May for saying the prime minister had misled the House.

The shadow leader of the Commons accused Tony Blair of not being straight about NHS waiting times in her constituency – a serious accusation under parliamentary rules.

Geoff Hoon, the leader of the House, suggested that Mrs May "did not intend" to use the word misled, saying it was "not an appropriate observation to make", and offered for her to correct the record.

But Mr Haselhurst, who is responsible for keeping order in the Commons, insisted he would have intervened if he thought there had been any impropriety, saying only that he was "always concerned that, as far as possible, moderate language be used".

Mr Skinner then declared that Mrs May had been "let off because she is a Tory" – essentially accusing the deputy speaker, who was a Conservative MP before taking the non-political role, of being biased.

As MPs shouted cries of disapproval, Mr Haselhurst replied: "That is a grossly offensive and misleading remark on the part of the honourable member, and I would wish that he withdraw it."

Mr Skinner refused, saying: "Why is there one rule for Labour and another for the Tories?" At that point, seeing he was about to be sent out, he left the chamber.

Yesterday's incident comes only four months after Mr Skinner was last thrown out of the Commons, for implying that shadow chancellor George Osborne took drugs.

Referring to employment under the Conservatives in the 1980s, he declared: "The only thing that was growing then were the lines of coke in front of boy George and the rest of the Tories."

Commons speaker Michael Martin asked the MP to withdraw his remarks, but Mr Skinner shouted: "No, I'm not withdrawing it… it's true."

Other classic moments from his past include calling then agriculture minister John Gummer a "little squirt of a minister" and a "wart" in 1992. Unsurprisingly, that resulted in yet another eviction.