Dennis Skinner's 'Dodgy Dave' jibe a tactic for political publicity or infantile behavio
Labour politician, Dennis Skinner, was kicked out of Parliament today after called the Prime Minister ‘Dodgy Dave’ and refusing to withdraw his comment.
During today’s parliamentary response to a statement on tax avoidance and the “Panama Papers” Skinner asked whether the Prime Minister recalls ignoring his question shortly after he became the leader of the Coalition back in 2010. Skinner asked, during a time where Cameron was “dividing the nation between strivers and scroungers” why Cameron wrote off the mortgage on his premises in Notting Hill, London but not off the property he owns in Oxford which, allegedly, Tax payers are “paying for” followed by “I didn't receive a proper answer then, maybe Dodgy Dave will answer it now”.
The statement caused outrage in parliament, which Skinner followed by angrily spitting to the speaker that “This man [David Cameron] has done more to divide this nation than anybody else”
“He has looked after his own pocket, I still refer to him as Dodgy Dave, do what you like”.
As the video, provided by BBC Parliament, shows there is a lack of respectful behaviour in Parliament even when discussing a topic – tax avoidance - which has deeply concerned the British public and has even led to protests in Whitehall.
The incident does not seem to be persuading the British public that MP's are not acting professionally while at work, the stunt pulled by Skinner seems to have made him a "favourite MP" for many.
Many took to Twitter to express that Skinner was only "speaking the truth" and that David Cameron is in fact "Dodgy Dave" who we can not trust as our Prime Minister.
It appears that when politics and comedy combine there is a higher level of engagement, especially among the youth if Britain, so are MP's using this as a tactic to reach out to the apolitical generation?
With these reactions to Skinners, somewhat, questionable behaviour in Parliament perhaps I should be asking another question - is this the way forward in the House of Commons? Do stunts like these engage people in politics and unite people against the opposition? Or does it infact show that our MP's are not capable of acting professionally let alone running a country?
Let us know what you think.
