DENNIS SKINNER - Sailing Close to the Wind

DENNIS SKINNER

Sailing Close to the Wind

Thanks Diane for giving me this book I can fully understand what attracted Albert to it.

I don’t usually read non-fiction and defiantly not “celebrity”   biographies but Dennis is an exception and thankfully I broke my habit. There can be few people in the UK who have any interest in politics who don’t know “The Beast of Bolsover” but how many appreciate his deeply held views and his principles?

I can’t really say it changed my opinion of Dennis; it would be difficult to hold him in higher regard. It did explain his position on the EU (though written before the referendum) views that with most things with Dennis are consistent.  It would be great to encourage people to read this book, to remind them, or in some cases reveal to them, what socialism means. To remind people that “class” is still with us, that the gap between Rich and Poor is probably greater than it has ever been, and still matters.

Dennis was forged in the mining community he grew up in, in local government and Trade Union politics (trade union politics in fighting to improve the lot of the working class) an “accidental” parliamentarian, not a “career” politician and all the better for it. I was never bored by the book; it is not a name dropping or self-promoting book, it does as is to be expected promotes and encourages the continuance of the battle to improve the lot of the working class from a unique prospective from a unique man.