Labour's left wing launch 'Durham manifesto'

Labour's firebrand calls for unity in tirade against the Third Way

Labour MP Dennis Skinner has called for a "roadmap to peace" to reunite the Labour Party with the trade union movement.

Speaking at the annual Durham Miner's Gala, the MP for Bolsover - alongside other Labour MPs and trade union leaders - launched what he called the 'Durham manifesto' .

Mr Skinner, who has recently returned to the political scene after undergoing a heart bypass, told former mining commuities from the north east that a two-way process was needed to restore Labour's values to the heart of government.

He joked that in hospital his nurses, doctors and surgeons were from across the globe. He said he finished with a United Nations heart, and was proud of it.

"Cowboy Bush"

Not many of the "chattering classes" were spared in a typically impassioned speech.

On war in Iraq he echoed comments made by trade union leaders: "I didn't vote against Iraq five times because of '45 minutes'," he said.

"I voted against the war because I wasn't going to be dragged into a war lead by that cowboy Bush and the rest of his Republican Guard who wanted revenge for September the 11th."

Next time you see George Bush coming towards you...avert your eyes and walk the other way Dennis Skinner's plea to the Foreign Secretary, Jack Straw

He also gave a warning to the Foreign Secretary Jack Straw: "Next time you see George Bush coming towards you selling shoddy gifts, avert your eyes and walk the other way," he said.

And he accused the American Vice President Dick Cheyney of pushing for war to "make money hand over fist in the reorganised Iraq."

Manifesto promises

Known locally as "the big meeting", Mr Skinner said part of the Durham manifesto should be to urge the government to keep to the election promise on foxhunting.

"The Government should understand that the majority in the House of Commons wasn't invented. We got it at the election in 2001 and in 1997," he said. He called for the Government to take a tough line against the Lords if they overturned the vote.

"Honour the House of Commons decision and invoke the Parliament Act. That's real leadership," he said.

And on foundation hosptials, he said he voted against the concept because it was never sanctioned by the party conference, nor at the policy forum and it wasn't mentioned in the party's last manifesto in 2001.

BBC "right wing"

The Daily Mail and the "right-wing BBC" were also condemned. He accused the media of "digging in the gutter" for stories and for promoting cynicism across the public services and against ethnic minorities.

He said he was waiting for a BBC Panorama team to greet him as he left hospital so he could tell them what a successful health service the country had.

Give him the bloody thing and take the railways off him Dennis Skinner, on Richard Branson's bid for Concorde

The Chancellor's latest budget statement didn't escape mention either. Mr Skinner called on people to reject any moves by Gordon Brown's to consider regional pay rates.

"Let's make it clear - we've not elected a Labour Government to dismantle national pay rates and pay lower rates when the going is easy."

As the MP for Bolsover continued to push for public services to be brought back into public ownership, Richard Branson's latest bid to buy Concorde was addressed : "Give him the bloody thing and take the railways off him in exchange," he said.

His new arteries tested, Mr Skinner will report back to the surgeon that "all is well with the job. Where better to test them than in Durham!"

Gala favourite Tony Benn also gave a sermon with a political twist at the traditional service from Durham Cathedral.

BBC Parliament will broadcast Dennis Skinner and Tony Benn's speeches in full on Saturday 19 July from 2200 BST.