Labour MP chucked out of Commons for branding PM ‘dodgy Dave’

FIREBRAND Labour MP Dennis Skinner was today booted out the House of Commons for branding the Prime Minister ‘dodgy Dave’.

The 84-year-old was ordered to leave the chamber as David Cameron faced a grilling from MPs over the so-called ‘Panama Papers‘ scandal.

Ex-miner Mr Skinner, who has been MP for Bolsover for more than 45 years, had attempted to ask the Tory leader about his personal finances.

The veteran politician, known as the ‘beast of Bolsover’ for his forthright character, asked Mr Cameron: “Does the Prime Minister recall that at the time after he became Prime Minister under the Coalition — and at the time when he was dividing the nation between strivers and scroungers — I asked him a very important question about the windfall he received when he wrote off the mortgage of the premises in Notting Hill.

“And I said to him he didn't write off the mortgage of the one that taxpayers were helping to pay for at Oxford. I didn't receive a proper answer then, maybe dodgy Dave will answer it now?”

Mr Skinner’s remarks sparked fury on the Tory benches, including calls from MPs to “chuck him out”.

Struggling to regain control of the Commons, Speaker John Bercow urged Mr Skinner to “withdraw that adjective he used a moment ago”.

Asked by the Labour MP “which word?”, Mr Bercow replied: “I think he knows the word beginning in ‘d’ and ending in ‘y’ that he inappropriately used.”

But refusing to withdraw his remark, Mr Skinner said: “This man has done more to divide this nation than anybody else, he's looked after his own pocket. I still refer to him as dodgy Dave.

He added: “Do what you like.”

The Speaker then ordered Mr Skinner to “withdraw immediately from the House for the remainder of this day's sitting” before telling the Prime Minister he need not reply to the question.

Mr Skinner then sloped out of the chamber.

Mr Cameron was facing MPs having published his tax returns going back six years over the weekend as he attempts to ease a row over his use of an offshore investment fund set up by his late father.

Details of the Blairmore Holdings fund, which was based in Panama before being moved to Ireland, emerged as part of the huge leak of millions of legal documents dubbed the ‘Panama Papers’.

Mr Cameron initially dodged questions over the fund as he saw himself dragged into the global offshore tax avoidance scandal.

But on Thursday night the Prime Minister finally confessed he owned shares in the tax haven fund, which he sold for £31,500 just before becoming Prime Minister in 2010.

Mr Cameron today admitted to MPs he should have handled the issue better.

Mr Skinner is known as a frequent flouter of parliamentary rules and traditionally stays in the House of Commons during the Queen's Speech at the State Opening of Parliament.

He supports the abolition of the House of Lords, where MPs gather outside to hear Her Majesty.