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Sailing Close to the Wind: Reminiscences
Memoirs of one of Britain’s most remarkable political figures Dennis Skinner, the famed Beast of Bolsover, is adored by legions of supporters and respected as well as feared by admiring enemies. Fiery and forthright, with a prodigious recall, Skinner is one of the best-known politicians in Britain. He remains as passionate and committed to the causes he champions as on the first day he entered the House of Commons back in 1970. In an age of growing cynicism about politicians, the witty and astute Skinner is renowned as a brightly burning beacon of principle. He has watched Prime Ministers come and go—Heath, Wilson, Callaghan, Thatcher, Major, Blair, Brown—and yet remains uncorrupted by patronage and compromise. Cameron discovered Skinner’s popularity when a public backlash forced the current PM to apologize in Parliament for calling Skinner a dinosaur who should be in a museum. Skinner at eighty has a unique take on post-war Britain. A combatant in the great social, industrial, and political upheavals of the last half century, he’s resisted telling his extraordinary story. Until now.
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
September 15, 2015
Oscar Wilde famously remarked that if everyone said what they thought, civilised life would be impossible. Dennis Skinner demonstrates the opposite and makes me wish he was not so damned unique.
There is nothing literary or pretentious in this memoir. It is basically a transcript of his thoughts in a form no different to a rambling monologue, something that Dennis Skinner can carry off to perfection. It is not without repetition and redundancy, but neither was Homer and his stuff has survived. Skinner's poetry, by the way, is abominable. Skinner's whole life has been a performance and he plays his part with complete sincerity and total commitment. He truly has nothing to hide, a claim few politicians can make, though Jeremy Corbyn (who is not discussed in the book) may well prove to be his match in that respect.
Not everybody will enjoy or appreciate this book. Most Tories won't for a start and Blairites in Labour will also be uncomfortable. But it would be a serious mistake to ignore his messages. For example, he rejects the myth that Labour's 1983 election manifesto was a left wing suicide note: the manifesto was not in fact produced by the left wing of the party, but by the right who had control of the NEC at the time. What cost Labour the 1983 election in Skinner's reasonable opinion was a combination of the way the SDP and its Gang of Four split the progressive anti Thatcher vote, and also the jingoistic boost of the Falklands War which enabled Thatcher to survive an election she expected to lose despite her dreadful, shameful performance in her first period in government. In short, it was the right (in particular that segment that left Labour to form the SDP) that made Labour unelectable.
In 1978 Jim Callaghan foolishly declined to call an election, choosing instead to push on with his Winter of Discontent and to lose public support accordingly, despite a terrific record in government prior to that. In the summer of 2007 Gordon Brown backed away from a serious opportunity to fight and win an election, only to be engulfed by the banking crisis and economic crash of 2008. Again, in both cases, it was not the Left of the party that carries the responsibility for these disasters.
Indeed, maybe the real myth is that Labour ever was unelectable, led from the left or the right. Dennis Skinner cites quite a few examples of the power of local activists to secure the election of Labour MPs despite hostile circumstances and he advocates that the party leadership get more in touch with its members and supporters. Again, though not mentioned, Corbyn has much the same perspective.
These arguments could not be more topical than today (September 2015) as the left is given its first real opportunity in 40 years to direct the party in parliament. If history is any guide, the real and serious threat to Labour will come from within, and not necessarily from its left who are fully committed to the party, but from those on the right for whom other parties may offer a career path.
The book is filled with hilarious anecdotes and gives a light hearted and easy to read description of some of the most harrowing and important political developments of his long career, witnessed and often influenced from his strategic seat in the Palace of Varieties that is our infuriating and deeply unsatisfactory Parliament.
There is nothing literary or pretentious in this memoir. It is basically a transcript of his thoughts in a form no different to a rambling monologue, something that Dennis Skinner can carry off to perfection. It is not without repetition and redundancy, but neither was Homer and his stuff has survived. Skinner's poetry, by the way, is abominable. Skinner's whole life has been a performance and he plays his part with complete sincerity and total commitment. He truly has nothing to hide, a claim few politicians can make, though Jeremy Corbyn (who is not discussed in the book) may well prove to be his match in that respect.
Not everybody will enjoy or appreciate this book. Most Tories won't for a start and Blairites in Labour will also be uncomfortable. But it would be a serious mistake to ignore his messages. For example, he rejects the myth that Labour's 1983 election manifesto was a left wing suicide note: the manifesto was not in fact produced by the left wing of the party, but by the right who had control of the NEC at the time. What cost Labour the 1983 election in Skinner's reasonable opinion was a combination of the way the SDP and its Gang of Four split the progressive anti Thatcher vote, and also the jingoistic boost of the Falklands War which enabled Thatcher to survive an election she expected to lose despite her dreadful, shameful performance in her first period in government. In short, it was the right (in particular that segment that left Labour to form the SDP) that made Labour unelectable.
In 1978 Jim Callaghan foolishly declined to call an election, choosing instead to push on with his Winter of Discontent and to lose public support accordingly, despite a terrific record in government prior to that. In the summer of 2007 Gordon Brown backed away from a serious opportunity to fight and win an election, only to be engulfed by the banking crisis and economic crash of 2008. Again, in both cases, it was not the Left of the party that carries the responsibility for these disasters.
Indeed, maybe the real myth is that Labour ever was unelectable, led from the left or the right. Dennis Skinner cites quite a few examples of the power of local activists to secure the election of Labour MPs despite hostile circumstances and he advocates that the party leadership get more in touch with its members and supporters. Again, though not mentioned, Corbyn has much the same perspective.
These arguments could not be more topical than today (September 2015) as the left is given its first real opportunity in 40 years to direct the party in parliament. If history is any guide, the real and serious threat to Labour will come from within, and not necessarily from its left who are fully committed to the party, but from those on the right for whom other parties may offer a career path.
The book is filled with hilarious anecdotes and gives a light hearted and easy to read description of some of the most harrowing and important political developments of his long career, witnessed and often influenced from his strategic seat in the Palace of Varieties that is our infuriating and deeply unsatisfactory Parliament.
February 4, 2015
Let's do the Time Warp again...
Now in his eighties and still an active Labour Member of Parliament, it seems to me as if Dennis Skinner has been around forever. Certainly he's been there since Parliament was televised, sitting in his usual seat beside the passage and making his famous quips at the opposition speakers...and sometimes those from his own party too. He claims that he didn't want to write this book of memoirs, but has finally given in to the requests of many people who have enjoyed his public speaking. Certainly the book's progress to publication seems to have been a difficult one - it has been delayed and delayed till it reached the stage that I wondered whether it would ever actually appear. At first, Skinner was shown as the sole author, then for a while the pre-order details said that it was to be co-written by Kevin Maguire, a left-wing journalist - but this finished version has reverted back to being credited to Skinner alone.
All of which might help to explain why the book is, quite frankly, a bit messy. It's a cross between a rather patchy memoir and a statement of Skinner's political convictions, with occasional musings on other subjects, such as his love for London parks. That's not to say it's uninteresting - it is. Well, I'll narrow that down a little - it's interesting if you happen to be a left-wing UK political nerd who remembers the miners' strike and gets nostalgic over the thought of those halcyon days when we marched through the streets of wherever we happened to be at the time, shouting 'Maggie! Maggie! Maggie! Out! Out! Out!' Skinner is an unreconstructed socialist and proud of it. Following his father into the mines, he is of 'good working-class stock' (which was in fact the title the book was listed as at one stage of its production), and still sees himself very much as a class warrior. His hatred for the Conservatives is visceral and often expressed in terms not unlike a small boy calling nasty names. On the other hand, he is strangely unforthcoming about the changes in the Labour party over the decades - he surely must have hated and despised the New Labour 'project', but he keeps that pretty much under wraps, while making it clear he thinks it's well past time for Labour to get back to its roots.
The thing is that politics has moved on so far from the seventies and eighties (whether for better or worse is for each person to decide for him/herself) and Skinner's views now come over as so out-dated, as does his manner of expressing them. (It may - or may not - have been acceptable to call a woman politician 'darling' in the seventies, but not so much today.) I would have agreed with him politically about 80% of the time in the Thatcher era, but those days, and the society that existed then, are gone, and won't be coming back. I felt at points as if I had accidentally stepped into a time-machine. Too much of the book is spent on him recounting his best insults - many of them were quite funny at the time (and many others were just childish), but I did start wondering if the tax-payers were paying for an MP or a comedian. However I felt that was more to do with the uneven structure of the book, than a real reflection on Skinner's career. He doesn't really say much about any of the committees he served on (I assume there were some) and the details he gives of the political highpoints of his career are too few and far between. He does go quite deeply into the miners' strike, obviously with a very strong bias towards the miners, and that was interesting. But the book is too heavily weighted to the Thatcher era - he glosses over the last Labour administration and then gets into his stride again with a series of childish personal insults about the current batch of Tories. (It always amuses me how both sides think the other side behaves badly - and it amused me how hoity-toity Skinner, the arch-insulter, got when Cameron hurled a couple in his direction. Wouldn't it be great to have a few adults in politics for a change?)
Overall, I found this in parts interesting, in parts annoying, and as a whole, too unstructured to be completely satisfying. I can't imagine it appealing to many people outwith the Old Labour tradition, but for them I'm sure it will be an essential read, as it was for me.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
Now in his eighties and still an active Labour Member of Parliament, it seems to me as if Dennis Skinner has been around forever. Certainly he's been there since Parliament was televised, sitting in his usual seat beside the passage and making his famous quips at the opposition speakers...and sometimes those from his own party too. He claims that he didn't want to write this book of memoirs, but has finally given in to the requests of many people who have enjoyed his public speaking. Certainly the book's progress to publication seems to have been a difficult one - it has been delayed and delayed till it reached the stage that I wondered whether it would ever actually appear. At first, Skinner was shown as the sole author, then for a while the pre-order details said that it was to be co-written by Kevin Maguire, a left-wing journalist - but this finished version has reverted back to being credited to Skinner alone.
All of which might help to explain why the book is, quite frankly, a bit messy. It's a cross between a rather patchy memoir and a statement of Skinner's political convictions, with occasional musings on other subjects, such as his love for London parks. That's not to say it's uninteresting - it is. Well, I'll narrow that down a little - it's interesting if you happen to be a left-wing UK political nerd who remembers the miners' strike and gets nostalgic over the thought of those halcyon days when we marched through the streets of wherever we happened to be at the time, shouting 'Maggie! Maggie! Maggie! Out! Out! Out!' Skinner is an unreconstructed socialist and proud of it. Following his father into the mines, he is of 'good working-class stock' (which was in fact the title the book was listed as at one stage of its production), and still sees himself very much as a class warrior. His hatred for the Conservatives is visceral and often expressed in terms not unlike a small boy calling nasty names. On the other hand, he is strangely unforthcoming about the changes in the Labour party over the decades - he surely must have hated and despised the New Labour 'project', but he keeps that pretty much under wraps, while making it clear he thinks it's well past time for Labour to get back to its roots.
The thing is that politics has moved on so far from the seventies and eighties (whether for better or worse is for each person to decide for him/herself) and Skinner's views now come over as so out-dated, as does his manner of expressing them. (It may - or may not - have been acceptable to call a woman politician 'darling' in the seventies, but not so much today.) I would have agreed with him politically about 80% of the time in the Thatcher era, but those days, and the society that existed then, are gone, and won't be coming back. I felt at points as if I had accidentally stepped into a time-machine. Too much of the book is spent on him recounting his best insults - many of them were quite funny at the time (and many others were just childish), but I did start wondering if the tax-payers were paying for an MP or a comedian. However I felt that was more to do with the uneven structure of the book, than a real reflection on Skinner's career. He doesn't really say much about any of the committees he served on (I assume there were some) and the details he gives of the political highpoints of his career are too few and far between. He does go quite deeply into the miners' strike, obviously with a very strong bias towards the miners, and that was interesting. But the book is too heavily weighted to the Thatcher era - he glosses over the last Labour administration and then gets into his stride again with a series of childish personal insults about the current batch of Tories. (It always amuses me how both sides think the other side behaves badly - and it amused me how hoity-toity Skinner, the arch-insulter, got when Cameron hurled a couple in his direction. Wouldn't it be great to have a few adults in politics for a change?)
Overall, I found this in parts interesting, in parts annoying, and as a whole, too unstructured to be completely satisfying. I can't imagine it appealing to many people outwith the Old Labour tradition, but for them I'm sure it will be an essential read, as it was for me.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
April 18, 2022
Found this book very engaging (even though i have a friend who met him once and f0unf him hugely arrogant and self-opinionasted) and I enjoyed every chapter in his life.
His mining heritage clearly plays an abiding and key role in his thinking, and his trade unionism and socialism too. I myself know a number of TU senior officials and they are indeed tricky at times as they can seem so inflexible.
Howeve, he writes this book in a spirit of humility and sense of equality for his working class equals, and often for middle class Labour Party people (who he may disagree with vehemently). His narration of some of the incidents when he got thrown out of parliament are legendary (several I did not remember myself) ; but i must say that the planning and plotting that goes into so much of what MPs do in the chamber (and outside) and how they try and neutralise a permanently hostile (Tory) press is uncomfortable reading as it is so very manipulative. i can see why - and both sides do it - but I wish politics was cleaner and more honest. Of course i wish we had Proportional Representation then the hideous tribalism that exists in British politics might lessen
But I live in hope.
And I admire enormously the Skinner revealed in this book (He does say very little about Jeremy Corbyn - not sure what his attitude was to the years since 2015 as he wrote this book before the 2015 election that Labour lost again)
His mining heritage clearly plays an abiding and key role in his thinking, and his trade unionism and socialism too. I myself know a number of TU senior officials and they are indeed tricky at times as they can seem so inflexible.
Howeve, he writes this book in a spirit of humility and sense of equality for his working class equals, and often for middle class Labour Party people (who he may disagree with vehemently). His narration of some of the incidents when he got thrown out of parliament are legendary (several I did not remember myself) ; but i must say that the planning and plotting that goes into so much of what MPs do in the chamber (and outside) and how they try and neutralise a permanently hostile (Tory) press is uncomfortable reading as it is so very manipulative. i can see why - and both sides do it - but I wish politics was cleaner and more honest. Of course i wish we had Proportional Representation then the hideous tribalism that exists in British politics might lessen
But I live in hope.
And I admire enormously the Skinner revealed in this book (He does say very little about Jeremy Corbyn - not sure what his attitude was to the years since 2015 as he wrote this book before the 2015 election that Labour lost again)
August 24, 2020
In the 1980s, when the Thatcher Government was attacking the livelihoods of public sector workers. I attended a pay protest meeting at Central Hall, Westminster. On to the stage strode a figure in a familiar grey flannel jacket. It was Dennis Skinner. I've never forgotten his first words, delivered in that broad Derbyshire accent: "Ah nivver thought I'd see the day when I'd come to speak in support of a load of bloody Civil Servants." He brought the house down. And that was the man; somebody who speaks his mind without undue concern for whether its what the listener wants to hear or not. Skinner writes as he speaks. He's no great stylist but he puts his points across with no room for uncertainty. He is proud of his working class (mining) roots and of his family and he delights in retelling the tales of his clashes with those who he considered to be putting his class down. One suspects that he quietly gloried in his "Beast of Bolsover" nickname, but he also occasionally reveals a sensitive side such as his love of tree blossoms. A real one-off. The UK Parliament is poorer for his absence.
June 11, 2015
I'm not usually a fan of biographies but this was absolutely brilliant. Dennis Skinner has led a fascinating life and his anecdotes are by turns witty and laugh out loud funny. We need more politicians like the Beast of Bolsover.
May 14, 2015
Dennis Skinner is like Kinder Scout, something rock solid in a changing world. It seems years ago, maybe around 40, when I sat in a local school classroom with about 10 other people to hear my MP Dennis Skinner. Many of the things he talked about then are here. ; the fact that MPs should treat their job as a proper job and not do other jobs on the side, or pair up with opposition MPS ( so you can have a night off). He even goes so far as to say you can't be a minister or PM because you will let down your constituency. He represents a different generation, but as he explains many things are just the same as before with different names. More power to him. If there were more like him, it would be hard getting things done, but we would like in much better country.
In this book you can here the real person speaking, no ghost writing here.
In this book you can here the real person speaking, no ghost writing here.
November 15, 2019
My Dad recommended this book to me. I kind it interesting. Dennis Skinner has had a very interesting life and is able to write in a way that engages the reader. He is clearly very bright, taking his 11 plus a year early and gaining a scholarship to the local grammar school. His school years were filled with the sort of antics that “Just William” got up to, lots of playing outside, making go carts, chasing or being chased by other kids. There was not a lot of money around but growing up in the 30s and 40s there were many other families in a similar situation. Dennis decided not to continue with his education but to follow the rest of his (male) family down the mine. Through his involvement with the Miners’ Union, he became involved with politics and an MP. He still represents the constituency that he was first elected to and is the area he grew up in and still lives in. This is a rare thing in modern politics. Dennis has remained true to his socialist principles over the years and has fought his corner well. His experiences dealing with miners and management equipped him well for dealing with the House of Commons. He was able to work there without having gone through the Oxbridge route. I do not agree with everything he did and there were times when I thought he did sail too close to the wind. However, there were many funny stories about his dealing with Margaret Thatcher and Enoch Powell amongst others which make his story worth a read.
November 9, 2015
For a book about politics, this was actually alright. This autobiography was the selection for my book club and I hadn’t heard of Dennis Skinner ‘The Beast of Bolsover’ before. The impression I get is that he is a thoroughly nice chap who fought for some very good causes. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book.
Despite voting Labour, I have always found politics tedious – I didn’t really think that reading about parliament could be interesting. The enjoyable thing about this book is that the story doesn’t all take part in the boring House of Commons - Skinner tells his story from the working man’s side – life down the mines and in the unions, working his way up to success by rallying amonsgt the downtrodden and the exploited.
I read this book just before Jeremy Corbyn was announced as the new Labour leader (I hadn’t heard of him before either - aside from the two minor references in Skinner’s book) , and I was thinking ‘you don’t get politicians like this these days’. It seems, with a sudden turn of fortune, that now we do!
If you are into politics, you’ll love this. If you aren’t, I think you’d be pleasantly surprised. It is very well written and serves as a fantastic wake up call for young people, who have never really lived with a government like the one Skinner strived and continues to strive for. He is an all-round good egg.
Despite voting Labour, I have always found politics tedious – I didn’t really think that reading about parliament could be interesting. The enjoyable thing about this book is that the story doesn’t all take part in the boring House of Commons - Skinner tells his story from the working man’s side – life down the mines and in the unions, working his way up to success by rallying amonsgt the downtrodden and the exploited.
I read this book just before Jeremy Corbyn was announced as the new Labour leader (I hadn’t heard of him before either - aside from the two minor references in Skinner’s book) , and I was thinking ‘you don’t get politicians like this these days’. It seems, with a sudden turn of fortune, that now we do!
If you are into politics, you’ll love this. If you aren’t, I think you’d be pleasantly surprised. It is very well written and serves as a fantastic wake up call for young people, who have never really lived with a government like the one Skinner strived and continues to strive for. He is an all-round good egg.
April 21, 2017
Very good autobio that lets you get close to the real Dennis Skinner. The book jumps about a bit in time frames and perhaps could have done with some more editing but as a history of one of the great parliamentarians of the age it is a vital document. We find out how the "palace of varieties" works, what tricks MPs pull and what goes on behind closed doors. We know a little more about the author's own politics, though he's never hidden these under any kind of bushel and we are reminded of his integrity where his peers have sadly failed. Dennis is at his best when writing about the working class, and about his constituents who he understands fully, and who have returned him to represent them time and again. His health problems are laid out for us and his tenacity, and ability to speak truth to power remain at the forefront of this book. He is a great Labour figure; acquired the grudging respect of characters as diverse as Tony Blair, Enoch Powell and Tony Benn in his time at The House. Who knows how long he will still be around, casting his acerbic wit in the direction of the Conservative party, but however long it is, he should be treasured.
October 12, 2016
Skinner is an absolute inspiration and it's (depressingly) refreshing to read the opinion of such a principled politician who actually lived his life as opposed to just having been a careerist. He illustrates his reasons for despising the Conservatives with powerful examples and descriptions of the miners strikes which characterised the evil of Thatcher and I was definitely encouraged to stand up against the systemic oppression of those below with our current governments policies.
It meant it was easy to read, but as the MP himself acknowledges, he is an orator rather than a writer, this biography definitely read more as a speech as opposed to a novel the majority of the way through, but I definitely still very much enjoyed it!
It meant it was easy to read, but as the MP himself acknowledges, he is an orator rather than a writer, this biography definitely read more as a speech as opposed to a novel the majority of the way through, but I definitely still very much enjoyed it!
November 2, 2014
A wholly committed MP who gives you some restoration of the respect we ought to have for all MPs. I found it a page-turner style read but got a little confused in some of the chapters where it seemed to hop quickly from one thing to another. I think I perhaps prefer a diary type approach but nevertheless great insights into a lifetime of commitment to the cause. I fear for Labour when his (unreconstructed) kind disappear completely which is, alas, probably a consequence of the primary battle he and any others fought in the mid 80s and lost. Like a fellow reviewer I did find the things left out a little strange but we do have the Mullins diaries to get that perspective I guess.
June 2, 2019
Dennis Skinner is one of those rare politicians who sticks to his principals. He has an excellent memory which has come to his aide when debating in parliament and out on the hustings. His other attribute is his sense of humour which so many politicians these lack and when public speaking which is essential to getting over your point of view and the best way to demolish someone elses argument. He was also a very good athlete and had an excellent memory for songs. All these things come out in his book. It is a pity that there are not more politicians like him who are there to reperesent his constituance and not there for self promotion. A very good read.
February 7, 2017
Dennis Skinner is the most consistently moral member of parliament that currently sits in the house, possibly ever. His dedication to the continuous protection of the rights of the working class have caused him to be seen as an enemy by the liberal and conservative elite, even from within his own party, but he has never backed down in the decades of time he has spent at Westminster.
Frankly, Dennis is in a league of his own.
Frankly, Dennis is in a league of his own.
July 24, 2018
Excellent book of Skinner's memoirs. You'll rattle through this. There's no mucking about here. Written in 2014, the year before Jeremy Corbyn became Labour Party leader. . If you're a Labour Party member, read it for a fillip. If you've an interest in post war British politics you'll enjoy it.
December 18, 2019
I absolutely loved this book. Dennis is genuinely one of the most inspiring and humble figures and this helps to explain why. If you’re looking to reconnect with your roots, read this book. A wonderful socialist text and relevant now more so than ever.
December 29, 2014
A proper Labour MP,a working class hero! The likes that we may never see again, in this era of the professional polictian.
A great book.
A great book.
March 29, 2016
A great autobigraphy from the most entertaining and committed MP of them all.
He may be the Beast of Boslover but you would want him on your side!
He may be the Beast of Boslover but you would want him on your side!
May 8, 2016
I love Dennis Skinner (the one who recently called David Cameron Dodgy Dave), a man who sticks to his principles and is so honest. This is a brilliant book, very witty and so revealing.
December 4, 2025
my hero.
November 15, 2023
"Thatcher's lies were so continuous, so heinous, the parliamentary system is unable to comprehend, let alone correct, such sustained duplicity."
Dennis Skinner is one of the few honest people to enter the House of Commons motivated by what he could do for those he represented rather than thinking about what he could get out of it for himself. A man from a strong working class background who had a real job before joining the Commons and whose fathers advice to "treat Parliament as a workplace and to keep (his) eyes on what others were up to" became his mantra for his years of dedicated service and representation. As he records in this autobiography he took the plain speaking he'd learnt in his earlier life into the House chamber and used it with deadly effect. Never one to mince his words in speaking truth to power he regularly upset power and was frequently reprimanded for not playing by the lads club rules. As he states he went to Parliament to "represent miners and Bolsover, to fight for working people and socialism".
While much of the book is about his time as an MP he also provided his pre Parliamentary biography, his early years spent in poverty in a large but loving family, his father a blacklisted miner with work and money consequently always short. The opportunity for education was embraced early by the young Dennis and stood him well for his early work in the NUM and local politics. He also describes his foray into singing and entertainment, as well as his love of sport in which he was surprisingly active especially as a speed walker. The people who he met, inspired and influenced him on his way also feature receiving due acknowledgement.
Chapters deal with specific themes and events told from his perspective and deeply rooted in a conscious class politics which is now sadly lacking or misunderstood by many. A subject close to The Beast's heart is the 1984 - 1985 Miners Strike. In a detailed chapter he places the dispute in its historical context and gives an excellent overall assessment and history of that fateful year of class struggle. Another, and surprisingly brief, chapter is devoted to the evils of Thatcher and her ideology (although much of the book focuses on the pain and suffering inflicted by Thatcher and her cohorts) that still ravage the land today. "No figure" he states "in my 40 years plus in Parliament encapsulated the poison and nastiness of the Conservative Party more than Margaret Thatcher. The record of what she did to Britain - deliberately breaking people, communities and industries to impose her brand of casino capitalism, impoverishing a swollen group at the bottom as she rewarded her City friends - was unforgivable."
Despite all the defeat and disappointment Dennis Skinner remains upbeat in closing the book (written prior to his horrific defeat at the ballot box by a Tory) looking back at the Labour Party's glory years after WWII with the creation of the Welfare State and nationalisation of industries and arguing that retaining and improving what Labour instituted then remains not only worthwhile but essential for our collective future. He's right but the task looks bigger and more improbable by the day.
This is a powerful book written by an honest working class warrior who has done more than most who entered the House of Commons and has received the least for it.
Dennis Skinner is one of the few honest people to enter the House of Commons motivated by what he could do for those he represented rather than thinking about what he could get out of it for himself. A man from a strong working class background who had a real job before joining the Commons and whose fathers advice to "treat Parliament as a workplace and to keep (his) eyes on what others were up to" became his mantra for his years of dedicated service and representation. As he records in this autobiography he took the plain speaking he'd learnt in his earlier life into the House chamber and used it with deadly effect. Never one to mince his words in speaking truth to power he regularly upset power and was frequently reprimanded for not playing by the lads club rules. As he states he went to Parliament to "represent miners and Bolsover, to fight for working people and socialism".
While much of the book is about his time as an MP he also provided his pre Parliamentary biography, his early years spent in poverty in a large but loving family, his father a blacklisted miner with work and money consequently always short. The opportunity for education was embraced early by the young Dennis and stood him well for his early work in the NUM and local politics. He also describes his foray into singing and entertainment, as well as his love of sport in which he was surprisingly active especially as a speed walker. The people who he met, inspired and influenced him on his way also feature receiving due acknowledgement.
Chapters deal with specific themes and events told from his perspective and deeply rooted in a conscious class politics which is now sadly lacking or misunderstood by many. A subject close to The Beast's heart is the 1984 - 1985 Miners Strike. In a detailed chapter he places the dispute in its historical context and gives an excellent overall assessment and history of that fateful year of class struggle. Another, and surprisingly brief, chapter is devoted to the evils of Thatcher and her ideology (although much of the book focuses on the pain and suffering inflicted by Thatcher and her cohorts) that still ravage the land today. "No figure" he states "in my 40 years plus in Parliament encapsulated the poison and nastiness of the Conservative Party more than Margaret Thatcher. The record of what she did to Britain - deliberately breaking people, communities and industries to impose her brand of casino capitalism, impoverishing a swollen group at the bottom as she rewarded her City friends - was unforgivable."
Despite all the defeat and disappointment Dennis Skinner remains upbeat in closing the book (written prior to his horrific defeat at the ballot box by a Tory) looking back at the Labour Party's glory years after WWII with the creation of the Welfare State and nationalisation of industries and arguing that retaining and improving what Labour instituted then remains not only worthwhile but essential for our collective future. He's right but the task looks bigger and more improbable by the day.
This is a powerful book written by an honest working class warrior who has done more than most who entered the House of Commons and has received the least for it.
October 25, 2018
Dennis says in his introduction that he wrote this because other people urged him to and that he does speeches not books and repeats this in the acknowledgements saying "I hope it's alright" Yes, it is. It reads very much as though it comes straight off the top of his head (which has its charms) and that he occasionally forgets he's not at a rally. It would still have benefitted from the attentions of an editor and a proof reader... but for a political autobiography and by a notorious or celebrated ranter at that, it is surprisingly interesting and readable.
I was quite happy with his pride in things he has achieved (with others, credited), especially in his pre-MP days as a councillor in Clay Cross - a useful corrective for me who makes an effort to avoid driving through it lest the will to live be lost. There doesn't seem to be any messing about with false modesty - yet he is more capable of reflection than I might have anticipated. I gasped at some crassness in an admittedly amusing attempt to lighten up election leaflets and make them more readable... only to read that he now feels the language was inappropriate. I did still feel there was a fair bit of the smart aleck, the cheeky little boy, the game player about him, which sometimes crosses a line for me and becomes too nasty and ad hominem, but understood much more about the method behind it, and the life experiences that produced that.
There were lots of surprises for me: the running, the singing, the love of London Parks and a lot about what it is like to be an MP, and a political animal. Although he writes a lot about his family, many of whom are still living, there's a lot of personal stuff missing and I couldn't get a sense of how being an MP worked alongside the rest of his life. I disagree with some of his approaches: his refusal to participate in All Party groups in parliament because he doesn't want to be friendly with political opponents, and his relentless opposition to Britain's involvement in the Common Market and now EU, but I feel I understand much better now why he appears to be held in such particular affection by his constituents and admired, possibly sneakingly, if not necessarily liked, across the political spectrum.
I was quite happy with his pride in things he has achieved (with others, credited), especially in his pre-MP days as a councillor in Clay Cross - a useful corrective for me who makes an effort to avoid driving through it lest the will to live be lost. There doesn't seem to be any messing about with false modesty - yet he is more capable of reflection than I might have anticipated. I gasped at some crassness in an admittedly amusing attempt to lighten up election leaflets and make them more readable... only to read that he now feels the language was inappropriate. I did still feel there was a fair bit of the smart aleck, the cheeky little boy, the game player about him, which sometimes crosses a line for me and becomes too nasty and ad hominem, but understood much more about the method behind it, and the life experiences that produced that.
There were lots of surprises for me: the running, the singing, the love of London Parks and a lot about what it is like to be an MP, and a political animal. Although he writes a lot about his family, many of whom are still living, there's a lot of personal stuff missing and I couldn't get a sense of how being an MP worked alongside the rest of his life. I disagree with some of his approaches: his refusal to participate in All Party groups in parliament because he doesn't want to be friendly with political opponents, and his relentless opposition to Britain's involvement in the Common Market and now EU, but I feel I understand much better now why he appears to be held in such particular affection by his constituents and admired, possibly sneakingly, if not necessarily liked, across the political spectrum.
November 27, 2019
It was a book that I put of reading for a long time, instead, it sat on my shelf next to Gordon Brown's book. When I did decide to start it, I was surprised by much of the information as it wasn't necessarily a way I ever looked at the world. I started out with very little knowledge of Dennis Skinner other than his Bolsover seat, his Dodgy Dave comments, his comments towards the black rod, and his breaking of the pairing system.
Instead, Skinner has been a huge proponent of left-wing politics whilst helping to support individuals like Tony Blair, John Prescott and Ed Milliband with their speeches. Furthermore, it also seems to be the case that he helped in coming up with the winter fuel allowance.
Whilst Skinner and I may not share our politics, I most certainly share his love of the outdoors, gardening, cycling and the peace found through it.
His stoicism and sticking to values is truly admirable.
Instead, Skinner has been a huge proponent of left-wing politics whilst helping to support individuals like Tony Blair, John Prescott and Ed Milliband with their speeches. Furthermore, it also seems to be the case that he helped in coming up with the winter fuel allowance.
Whilst Skinner and I may not share our politics, I most certainly share his love of the outdoors, gardening, cycling and the peace found through it.
His stoicism and sticking to values is truly admirable.
November 12, 2025
This book may have saved my faith in modern-day politics (apart from Zohran Mamdani's Election Day win).
It's refreshing to hear the perspectives of a politician who runs on principle, integrity, and equity. It's clear that the working-class miner from Derbyshire is the exact same person who represented Bolsover for nearly 50 years WITHOUT veering from the left-wing. Dennis has never once gone against his conscience or the beliefs of his constituents, which makes his perspective truly remarkable, especially in a time when even the most progressive politicians often compromise on policies and positions that are considered too "radical."
I was also happily surprised by how funny the book is, especially when he recounts embarrassing the out-of-touch and posh Tories (specifically David Cameron).
It's refreshing to hear the perspectives of a politician who runs on principle, integrity, and equity. It's clear that the working-class miner from Derbyshire is the exact same person who represented Bolsover for nearly 50 years WITHOUT veering from the left-wing. Dennis has never once gone against his conscience or the beliefs of his constituents, which makes his perspective truly remarkable, especially in a time when even the most progressive politicians often compromise on policies and positions that are considered too "radical."
I was also happily surprised by how funny the book is, especially when he recounts embarrassing the out-of-touch and posh Tories (specifically David Cameron).
June 11, 2025
If you’re looking for a political memoir that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but still packs a punch, Sailing Close to the Wind is a wild ride through the life of one of Britain’s most unfiltered, unapologetic MPs. Dennis Skinner, aka the Beast of Bolsover, tells his story like he talks: straight from the gut, no frills, and definitely no spin.
The book reads like you’re down the pub with your blunt but hilarious socialist granddad, who just so happens to have been in Parliament for over four decades.
It’s not a dry political textbook. It’s more like a punchy collection of war stories from the Commons, laced with sharp wit and working-class pride. Ideal if you’re into politics but tired of the usual polished nonsense.
Read it for the laughs. Stay for the principles.
The book reads like you’re down the pub with your blunt but hilarious socialist granddad, who just so happens to have been in Parliament for over four decades.
It’s not a dry political textbook. It’s more like a punchy collection of war stories from the Commons, laced with sharp wit and working-class pride. Ideal if you’re into politics but tired of the usual polished nonsense.
Read it for the laughs. Stay for the principles.
January 13, 2024
I am very interested in MPs that have integrity and honesty as its rare.
Everybody knows Dennis Skinner has had a long and rich life in politics. Outspoken and honest, genuinely cared about improving peoples lives that were less fortunate and disagreed with an unelected head of state. This kind of wonderful individual is rare. Tony Benn maybe another.
Everybody knows Dennis Skinner has had a long and rich life in politics. Outspoken and honest, genuinely cared about improving peoples lives that were less fortunate and disagreed with an unelected head of state. This kind of wonderful individual is rare. Tony Benn maybe another.
June 19, 2025
Brilliant book and read and what a wonderful and fair man he was. I agree with him politically on everything except his stance on Europe. A tragic loss to the nation that he never became Prime minister.
December 31, 2014
Not a polished book, but a hugely enjoyable read. There are not many surprises if you've followed politics over the year, but some useful perspectives and reminders.
One or two key points for me.
Firstly Dennis Skinner never seems to waver in his view that the Labour Party is the only place for working people who want to change things. His hostility to the defectors who formed the SDP is unsurprising, but it's clear he has little more sympathy for those who seek to dilute the radical voice in other directions.
Secondly, this leads to him being more supportive of the Blair and Brown government than some would expect. Not that he ever toned down his criticisms of the things he disagreed with, but always in the context of that enormous sense of solidarity and a believe that ultimately politics comes down to a choice of sides where he could only ever be in one place.
"I have an unyielding loyalty to a Labour Party that is on the side of working people. It is the only party capable of improving the lives of the working class.
"My absolute belief is that a Labour government is better than a Tory regime every time and the Labournyears, with Blair then Gordon Brown in no. 10, achieved much that we are justly proud of. "
It's probably that same sense of solidarity which lies behind his obvious sense of betrayal over two massive disputes - one, and better known, the Miner's Strike and what he believes to have been the unacceptable failure of the Labour party under Neil Kinnock to back the NUM; and secondly, and less remembered I suspect, the failure to lift the sanctions imposed on the Clay Cross councillors in the early 1970s.
Dennis Skinners working life started in the mines, which led him into the trade unions, the Labour Party and the local council before he became the MP. After his election as MP, Clay Cross continued with a programme started under his leadership of slum clearance, house building - and heavily subsidised rents and other services. This fell foul of legislation brought in by the Heath Government, and ultimately led to the bankrupting and barring from office of a number of Labour councillors including two of his brothers.
Actually, there was at least one surprise, which was the discovery that he was asked about a ministerial appointment by Tony Blair in 1997. He turned it down because he felt that it would restrict his ability to say and vote for what he believed in without compromise.
It's clear that at 82 he has lost little of the fire and passion that has dominated his life. His anger about what the coalition government is doing, founded not just on abstract dislike of their policies but of seeing week in, week out, the impact on ordinary people's lives, is palpable and an inspiration.
One or two key points for me.
Firstly Dennis Skinner never seems to waver in his view that the Labour Party is the only place for working people who want to change things. His hostility to the defectors who formed the SDP is unsurprising, but it's clear he has little more sympathy for those who seek to dilute the radical voice in other directions.
Secondly, this leads to him being more supportive of the Blair and Brown government than some would expect. Not that he ever toned down his criticisms of the things he disagreed with, but always in the context of that enormous sense of solidarity and a believe that ultimately politics comes down to a choice of sides where he could only ever be in one place.
"I have an unyielding loyalty to a Labour Party that is on the side of working people. It is the only party capable of improving the lives of the working class.
"My absolute belief is that a Labour government is better than a Tory regime every time and the Labournyears, with Blair then Gordon Brown in no. 10, achieved much that we are justly proud of. "
It's probably that same sense of solidarity which lies behind his obvious sense of betrayal over two massive disputes - one, and better known, the Miner's Strike and what he believes to have been the unacceptable failure of the Labour party under Neil Kinnock to back the NUM; and secondly, and less remembered I suspect, the failure to lift the sanctions imposed on the Clay Cross councillors in the early 1970s.
Dennis Skinners working life started in the mines, which led him into the trade unions, the Labour Party and the local council before he became the MP. After his election as MP, Clay Cross continued with a programme started under his leadership of slum clearance, house building - and heavily subsidised rents and other services. This fell foul of legislation brought in by the Heath Government, and ultimately led to the bankrupting and barring from office of a number of Labour councillors including two of his brothers.
Actually, there was at least one surprise, which was the discovery that he was asked about a ministerial appointment by Tony Blair in 1997. He turned it down because he felt that it would restrict his ability to say and vote for what he believed in without compromise.
It's clear that at 82 he has lost little of the fire and passion that has dominated his life. His anger about what the coalition government is doing, founded not just on abstract dislike of their policies but of seeing week in, week out, the impact on ordinary people's lives, is palpable and an inspiration.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2015
This was not a book I would have read had it not been the allocated book for our BookChat Group as I am not a fan of the author's politics. Putting that to one side, the book itself was very disappointing for me - I expected a memoir, telling me about the author's background and life - there was some of this but mostly it was a political 'rant' against the Tories, capitalism, the Royal Family, the House of Lords etc., occasionally repetitive (the exact same sentences being repeated at one point only a few pages apart) and the narrative jumps about from one subject and time period to another without any obvious breaks in the text. The author rarely mentions his own family, particularly his wives and where he met them etc. When he did mention his wives briefly, I found it very confusing: he mentioned his wife, Mary, to whom he was apparently married, I have since found out, from 1960 to 1989 (when they separated) and then his former assistant, Lois, became his partner in 1993. Yet the author mentions that, in 1987, he had other things on his mind as 'my wife, Eileen,... was dying with breast cancer'?! Not an enjoyable read for me at all - 2/10.
January 3, 2015
Not a full blown autobiography but selected reminiscences. Good to hear the leftwing view laid out and also a reminder that not only right wingers are anti Europe.Makes it seem a shame that he was always so sidelined in his quest to remain true to his roots.I like his recommendations about MPs not pairing (it's their job to be there), no overseas jaunts, his republicanism and straightforward anti trident approach.
On a publishing front this could have done with more editing (two typos in first few chapters) and at least three incidents of repition of stories. Quercus should look out next time.
On a publishing front this could have done with more editing (two typos in first few chapters) and at least three incidents of repition of stories. Quercus should look out next time.
May 9, 2016
As a writer, Dennis Skinner is a wonderful politician. As a huge fan and admirer, this book was a huge disappointment. Some nice anecdotes but sadly poorly written. Having said that it was worth buying for his description of George Osborne as "a man educated well beyond his ability". I still love Dennis despite this book, not because of it.
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