On 11 April 2016, the veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner was ordered to leave the House of Commons after he branded the prime minister, David Cameron, “Dodgy Dave” and refused to withdraw the remark.

The comment came as Cameron delivered a statement regarding revelations in the “Panama Papers”.

Skinner, known affectionately as the “Beast of Bolsover”, rose to ask a question about Cameron’s personal finances.

The veteran Labour MP, first elected to parliament in 1970, told the House: “Does the prime minister recall that at the time after he became prime minister under the coalition and at the time when he was dividing the nation between strivers and scroungers, I asked him a very important question about the windfall he received when he wrote off the mortgage of the premises in Notting Hill, and I said to him he didn’t write off the mortgage of the one taxpayers were helping to pay for at Oxford.

“I didn’t receive a proper answer then. Maybe Dodgy Dave will answer it now.”

Skinner’s language was “unparliamentary” under the rules of the House of Commons. MPs are not allowed to accuse each other of being dishonourable or behaving dishonourably.

As such, the commons speaker, John Bercow, demanded that the Labour MP withdraw “that adjective”.

Bercow declared: “He is perfectly capable of asking his question without using that word. It is up to him, but if he does not wish to withdraw it, I cannot reasonably ask the prime minister to answer the question. All he has to do is withdraw that word and think of another.”

Protesting his innocence, Skinner responded: “Which word?”

The speaker responded: “I think he knows the word beginning with D and ending with Y which he inappropriately used.”

Skinner conceded that he knew the word that Bercow objected to, but added: “This man [Cameron] has done more to divide this nation than anybody else, and he has looked after his own pocket. I still refer to him as dodgy Dave.

“Do what you like!”

Clip.

Bercow then ordered Skinner to withdraw from the chamber for the remainder of the day’s sitting. The incident marked the fifth time in his long career that Skinner had been suspended from the commons.

Skinner, famous for his retorts at black rod during the ceremonial state opening of parliament, lost his seat at the 2019 general election.