Hello, I'm Krestey Young, and this is a podcast from the Desert Island Discs archive.

For rights reasons, we've had to shorten the music.

The program was originally broadcast in 1990, and the presenter was Sue Lawley. My castaway this week is a backbench labor MP.

After a grammar school education, he worked for 21 years in the coal mines of his native Derbyshire.

He spent the next 20 years developing a reputation as one of our most effective members of Parliament.

His sharp, often rude interjections, coupled with his detailed knowledge of parliamentary procedure,

have won him admiration from all sides of the house.

Not that he has any time for compliments or favors.

He is incorruptible, left-wing, and say many of his supporters,

very entertaining.

Proud to describe his inheritance as from good

working-class stock he's the man whom the popular press call the Beast of

Bolsover but who is even better known as Dennis Skinner.

Mr Skinner, why are you called the Beast of Bolsover?

Do you know its origins?

Yeah, as a matter of fact, one of the MPs in the house on an occasion when they were talking about free trips and I said

you stand need opening your mouth all the trips that you've been on out to the

Middle East have been paid for and he responded and shouted to the speaker can't you control this bloody beast of balls over and it's stuck ever since?

Do you mind it's not very complimentary?

Now but I mean there used to be a little old song weren't they when we were kids I suppose they still know it

sticks and stones will break my bones but calling never hurts me so no I don't let that

worry me do you family mind no I don't think so I don't think anybody's

...