Brexit backlash: How furious Leavers could oust Labour’s Dennis Skinner after 50 years

Despite Mr Skinner being a Eurosceptic himself, his seat is under threat due to Labour’s incoherent Brexit policy and its support of a second referendum, however lukewarmly Jeremy Corbyn has advocated for it. Mr Skinner, 87, will be standing in Bolsover, the constituency he has served since June 1970, having first been elected at the same time as Father of the House Ken Clarke. A former coal-mining area in Derbyshire, Bolsover has been red since the constituency was first formed in 1950.

According to the Financial Times, residents joke that there was a time when the Labour Party could have put up “a Jack Russell” with a red rosette and still won the seat.

However, frustrated Leave voters could be set to upturn the election map as the Conservative Party turns it attention to a “red wall” of 50 Labour-held constituencies in Wales, the midlands and the north of England.

In Bolsover, 70 percent of the population voted to leave the EU, one of the highest margins in the country.

This is believed to be due to high levels of immigration from eastern Europe, as people came to work in the warehouses and distribution centres.

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Mr Skinner’s majority was cut to 5,288 in 2017 – while 20 years earlier it stood at a whopping 27,149 – and two neighbouring constituencies turned blue two years ago – North East Derbyshire and Mansfield.

Boris Johnson will be targeting areas like Bolsover – working class Leave areas that traditionally vote Labour – in order to offset losses in Scotland, London and the Home Counties. 

Mr Skinner, known as ‘The Beast of Bolsover’ remained steadfast, insisting: “The Tories will run their own campaign. That’s their business.  

“But I am convinced that when the voters see the policies set out in the Labour manifesto they will give us their support.”

Nigel Farage announced today that the Brexit Party will stand down in 317 Tory-held seats but will be fielding candidates in Labour seats.

Mr Farage has claimed he intends to win over Labour voters who feel betrayed by the party’s stance on Brexit.

According to tactical voting website Best for Britain, Mr Skinner is polling at around 23 percent, the Tories on 34 percent and the Brexit Party on 21 percent in Bolsover. 

Mark Fletcher, the Conservative candidate facing off against the well-known socialist, said he is optimistic for his chances for three main reasons: Brexit, Mr Johnson and Mr Corbyn.

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He told the FT: “There is a real embarrassment that so many politicians said they would honour the referendum and have failed to do so.”

He added: “People feel like [Mr Johnson] has a sense of purpose and wants to get things done.”

Mr Fletcher also argued that, while Mr Corbyn is popular with those on the left of the party and young Momentum recruits, he is unpopular among older, more socially conservative traditional Labour voters in areas like Bolsover. 

What’s more, his position on Brexit has been unclear and, ultimately, disliked – he promised to honour the referendum in his 2017 manifesto but more recently the party has backed a second referendum, grossly unpopular with Brexiteers.

Over the past few decades, Bolsovler has undergone vast changes – old industries like coal-mining have closed down and new ones, providing lower paid, less secure employment have grown.

In 1992, the area fell into a depression, but in 2005 the international headquarters of Sports Direct was moved there directly over the old mine shafts.

Since then, vast numbers of eastern European migrants have moved to the area, and local people have blamed immigration for the strain on public services and social cohesion.

Housing construction has also brought in commuters from local cities.