Dennis Skinner will be missed on Labour’s NEC

I don’t have a natural tribe within Labour politics. I’m not hard right or left. I don’t love or loathe Tony Blair and while I am a great admirer of Ed Miliband and a supporter of the kind of changes he, Jon Cruddas and Andrew Adonis have recently been announcing to our economy, I am perfectly willing to criticise all three when it is the right thing to do.

I am not from Dennis Skinner’s political tradition. But I do feel a sense that with his losing the election to Labour’s NEC, something has been lost.

I want to also make clear that I am a huge admirer of both John Healey and Steve Rotherham. Steve’s tireless work campaigning on Hillsborough and for Justice for the 96 is incredible and John is one of the most personable MPs it has been my pleasure to deal with. They both more than deserve their places on Labour’s NEC and I am sure they will be huge assets to the management of our Party.

The pitiless nature of politics though means that for someone to win, someone else must lose. When that’s a Tory or Lib Dem we don’t mind. In internal elections it is one of our own and that can smart a bit.

It’s perfectly possible that Dennis Skinner will return to the NEC one day. These positions are contested ridiculously often (a post for another day). And in the meantime he’s got plenty to do as a consummate Parliamentarian. I – for one – am eagerly anticipating his interjection when Charles finally ascends to the throne. But given old foes the Queen and Skinner are vying for the “not going anywhere” crown,  that will be some years off.

I know some are tempted to  to see the shedding of our Skinner as a further rejection of our past. Once more into the  New Labour breech where we fight ourselves to impress the bullies of Fleet Street. But as Mark has already written, that just doesn’t ring true. This isn’t conspiracy, it’s maths. The votes just went a different way. To other excellent candidates.

But there are plenty in this country to whom Dennis Skinner is not simply a reminder of our past but a representative of our very real presence.

When Thatcher crushed the industrial north with no plan for an alternative and less care for the consequences, it wasn’t just the workers who were effected it was whole communities. Whole communities who are still affected.

When we continued to allow London to overheat at the expense of the rest of the country it damaged us all. Yes, even Londoners like me who can no more afford to live in the area I grew up than I could Buckingham Palace.

Dennis Skinner is a vital fighter for all those effected by the terrible consequences of our 30 year experiment with neo-liberalism. His role doing so on Labour’s NEC was just a small part in that. I know he will continue in the many other arenas he has available to him.

I don’t always agree with Dennis Skinner. We probably have very different takes on what is needed as our economy adjusts to the post-industrial age (or even if it should!).  Skinner is often associated with a bygone era of Labour politics – both by his supporters and foes. And it’s true that as our national industries have declined so too has our representation from them.

As Labour start to rediscover our purpose and the politics of now (and those interested could do a great deal worse than read the tour-de-force speech given by Jon Cruddas this week) we will need to do so with as broad a representation as possible. That means the new working classes in the service industry. It means public sector workers as well as the private sector people who share our values and our longing for a better system for all. But there must always be room for people like Dennis Skinner in our Party and our dialogue. Sometimes diversity does mean an older, white man too.

Dennis Skinner’s career is a long way from over. But now is a natural time to stop and say thank you for all that he has achieved so far. I am more than glad to get the opportunity to do so.

Emma Burnell is Contributing Editor of LabourList