The Right Honorable Dennis Skinner MP seen here signing my copy of his memoir: Sailing Close To The Wind. Now in his 83rd. year he gave a hugely amusing, if necessarily brief account of his life and times during a platform discussion with the former Labour MP for Sunderland: Chris Mullin, - in the superb surroundings of Durham Town Hall. Known as The Beast of Bolsover, Dennis's acid turn of phrase and his dogged anti-toff pro working-class support is both instinctive and genuine. When asked how he has changed over 44 years as a member of parliament his answer "not very much" lacked any surprise. I once had the pleasure of watching him debate on the floor of the Commons around the time of the miner's strikes and the "Who Rules Britain" elections of 1973/4, his knuckles white with anger as he laid into Ted Heath and the Tories! He was a force of nature. With the loss of Tony Benn, Dennis seems to be one of the last of the old-guard class-warriors and I suspect like Tony Benn might well make a successful transition from Darling of the Left status to that of a full-blown National Treasure.