The Wardman Wire

My local MP is Dennis Skinner, who has a personal tradition of poking fun at Royalty on the occasion of a Queen’s Speech.

Wikipedia has collected some of his quotes together. Here are a few examples.

• In 1997, he shouted “New Labour, New Black Rod“. A reference to Labour’s election campaign slogan “New Labour, New Britain”.
• In 2000, he shouted out “Tell her to read the Guardian!” – the Guardian newspaper was campaigning at the time to repeal various laws relating to the monarchy.
• In 2006, Skinner responded to Black Rod’s invitation with “Is Helen Mirren on standby?“, in reference to the portrayal by Helen Mirren of Elizabeth II in the 2006 film, The Queen. The BBC political commentator Huw Edwards called the quip “cheap but funny”.
• In 2007, he asked “Who shot the harriers?” referring to a recent event in Sandringham, where two protected harriers had been shot near a royal property. Prince Harry and a friend had been questioned by police over the incident.
• In 2008, he asked, “any Tory moles at the Palace?“, referring to the recent arrest of Conservative MP Damian Green in connection with an investigation about him receiving confidential information from a civil servant at the Home Office who was formerly a Conservative Party candidate. To which Black Rod quipped, “I shall miss you, Dennis”, receiving laughter from other MPs. The 2008 State Opening of Parliament was Michael Willcocks’ last as Black Rod.^[10]
• In 2009, he stated “Royal Expenses are on the way“, a reference to the expenses scandal.

And a couple of other good Dennis quotes:

• “I thought you were taking Marquand with you.” – Heckling Roy Jenkins in 1976 when, during his farewell speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party before leaving to become President of the European Commission, he said: “I leave this party without rancour”. Jenkins, who famously pronounced his Rs like Ws, left the Commons at the same time as David Marquand, the MP for Ashfield and a close ally of Jenkins.
• “When I called the Right Hon. Member for Plymouth, Devonport (Dr. Owen) a pompous sod, Mr. Speaker said to me, ‘You had better withdraw that’. I said I would withdraw ‘pompous’, but said, Mr. Speaker ‘That’s not the word I’m looking for.’ There was laughter in the House and everyone thought that I had hit the nail on the head. I thought that that was a real parliamentary triumph, but Mr. Speaker thought differently. He said, ‘Off you go,’ and I did not get a chance to reply.”

There are more at Wikipedia.