Dennis Skinner, the "Beast of Bolsover", the firebrand British socialist politician, who sings to the residents of old folks' homes (he's actually 87 himself)...
Skinner, incidentally, never misses a debate in Parliament because he used to work in the coal mines and says if he missed a shift then he didn't get paid, so he won't miss a shift now when the tax-payer is providing his salary. He also refuses to use the (heavily-subsidised) House of Commons bars and restaurants, because he doesn't see why he should get a cheaper meal and pint than the average working Brit.
One of my boys! Never sold out and a thorn in the side of the Blair disaster. May he live forever!
This guy reminds me of PePe Mujica [en.wikipedia.org] occasionally called the world's humblest president. There are still some, far too few real activist politicians.
I'm not surprised Mujica is of Basque ancestry - the Basques do seem to be naturally left. They even do nationalism in a distinctly left wing way.
Sounds like the Brit version of Bernie Sanders. Wish we had a bunch of him in the US political system.
The main difference between them is Skinner is far to the left of Sanders!
I admire him for sticking to his principles and his pugnacious character. Like a lot of real old school socialists he has never been a believer in EU membership, on that particular issue I disagree with him entirely, but on this he has never been inconsistent or ambiguous.
Dennis was my MP back in the 1980s.... He was a coalminer, but like many at the time had an intellect far above the needs of his work ...
there was a problem in our village and he rode over, on his bicycle, to check out the issue, which he resolved to the relief of all who lived there.
Despite his coarse image, he is a man of the highest integrity, strong beliefs which change infrequently and only on the basis of updated evidence, and a pasionate socialist.
He stands head and shoulders above the majority of politicians ... I am honoured to know him