Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner refuses to attend the Queen’s Speech

Veteran Labour MP Dennis Skinner refused to attend the Queen’s Speech today, muttering ‘I’m not going’ when MPs were asked to attend the House of Lords.

The 87-year-old politician prompted laughter from both sides of the House of Commons after Black Rod requested MPs’ attendance to hear the Queen’s Speech.

The Derbyshire-born politician, who is nicknamed the ‘Beast of Bolsover’, remained behind in the Commons chamber as other MPs filed out towards the Lords.

Mr Skinner is known for making quips during the State Opening of Parliament and it has become part of the pomp and circumstance of the event.

In 1992, following calls for Her Majesty to pay income tax, he shouted: ‘Tell her to pay her tax!’ In 2006, he joked: ‘Have you got Helen Mirren on standby?’.

Before the State Opening in 2017, Mr Skinner sent MPs into hysterics after he told Black Rod to get his ‘skates on’ so the Queen can get to Ascot.

As Black Rod invited MPs to the House of Commons to hear the Queen, Mr Skinner yelled: ‘Yeah – better get your skates on, the first race is at half past two’.

MPs roared with laughter and even Black Rod, Lieutenant General David Leakey, smirked at the quip about Theresa May disrupting Her Majesty’s racing plans. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles are pictured at the House of Lords in London today

The Queen’s Speech takes place at the State Opening of Parliament in Westminster today

In 2016 the Bolsover MP received cheers from some Opposition MPs as he shouted: ‘Hands off the BBC,’ in the Commons as MPs were summoned to hear the Queen’s Speech.

But in 2015 he opted to stay silent in a break from tradition, having shouted the previous year: ‘Coalition’s last stand.’

He won widespread laughs in 2013 when he shouted: ‘Royal Mail for sale. Queen’s head privatised,’ in reference to the planned Royal Mail privatisation.

In 2012 he angered Tory MPs by drawing attention to the country’s economic difficulties, saying: ‘Jubilee year, double dip recession, what a start.’ 

In one of his earliest interventions about Her Majesty, Mr Skinner said in 1987: ‘Tell her to sell up!’

The former coal miner, who has been a Labour MP since 1970, has gone through bowel cancer, a heart bypass and a hip replacement in his time as a politician.

At the main event, a crime crackdown dominated the first Queen’s Speech of Boris Johnson’s premiership.

With the Prime Minister pushing for a snap general election the legislative programme presented at the State Opening of Parliament is being seen as a bid by Mr Johnson to set out his campaign agenda.

As well as law and order issues, immigration and the environment were also major elements of the programme, which had already been trailed.

The package of 26 Bills include seven relating to crime and justice, including  legislation to keep serious criminals in prison for longer.