Dennis Skinner was too ill to campaign in election - but insisted on standing

Toppled Dennis Skinner, beaten in a Bolosver seat he'd held for nearly half a century, was too ill to campaign during the election.

Doctors ordered the ailing Beast of Bolsover, 87, to stay in London after he caught a dangerous infection following a hip operation.

The most famous scalp on a terrible night for Labour, Skinner considered retiring but agreed to stand again out of loyalty to Jeremy Corbyn and a belief Skinner was the party's best chance in the Derbyshire seat he first won in 1970.

An ex-coal miner popular nationally for his uncompromising attacks on Tories and barbs before the Queen's Speech opening Parliament, the Left-winger's long-term Brexit supporter failed to save him.

Had Skinner won his 14th election he would've become Father of the Commons as the longest service MP although typically the uncompromising socialist would've refused to accept an establishment title.

Surviving cancer and a heart operation in recent decades, Skinner is a passionate champion of the NHS.

One of nine children born to a miner blacklisted by pit owners after the General Strike and a mother who did wealthier women's washing, his defeat severs a link to a bygone era.

Born in the mining town of Clay Cross in Derbyshire, Skinner was one of nine children to Edward - who was sacked from his job as a coal miner following the 1926 general strike.

In 2015 he revealed he didn't use e-mails because he wanted to "keep the postman in work".

But in the age of social media he became celebrated by left-wingers for his hardline attacks on the brutal austerity wielded by David Cameron.

He claimed half of the Conservative Party were "crooks", talked about Tory MPs and their "lines of coke" and described David Owen as a "pompous sod".

In 2016, he was ordered to leave the House of Commons after calling the then Prime Minister "Dodgy Dave"

The Republican also directed jibes at the Queen's representative Black Rod during the State Opening of Parliament.

Some of his most famous include "have you got Helen Mirren on standby", "Jubilee Year, double-dip recession, what a start", and "get your skates on, first race is at half past two" in reference to the Queen's appearance at Ascot later the same day.

Tory candidate Mark Fletcher won 21,791 votes to Mr Skinner's 16,492 as his vote share plunged by 16 points.