Today’s Queen’s speech has brought sharply into focus the loss of a prominent institution in last week’s election – Dennis Skinner. Whilst doing broadly nothing as a constituency MP, the Beast of Bolsover came to play a critical role in the State Opening of Parliament; that of heckling Black Rod…

His defeat means the mantle must be picked up by a new member. Yesterday David Davis suggested Harriet Harman should, given she’d sat in Skinner’s traditional place on the opposition benches. Harman passed up on the opportunity…

When asked by Guido, the new Tory MP for Bolsover didn’t seem too keen on the idea that the role should be picked up by him; joining a few of the new intake Tory MPs who have a poor heckling track record. They had planned on chanting ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’ when he first entered the Chamber for the Speaker’s election on Monday, only to get cold feet at the last minute. They’ve got five years to find a backbone and entertain us…