Dennis Skinner: “You better get your skates on. The first race is at half past two.”

The MP, known as the Beast of Bolsover, gave the MPs a funny reminder that the first race starts at half past two as the Black Rod asked the Commons to make their way to the speech. Dennis Skinner is known for his well-crafted one-liners ahead of the Queen's Speech. His famed comments, fired from his usual front-row seat, have been a tradition for almost 30 years.

If you tell someone to get your skates on it means that you want them to do something quickly or to hurry up.

Examples:

You'd better get your skates on, or we are going to miss the bus!

Get your skates on! We've got a lot of work to do today.

The Queen of England was about to miss her favorite pastime, and that's why Dennis Skinner jokes, "You better get your skates on." to Black Rod Before the UK Queen's Speech. Before the Queen's Speech, Dennis Skinner jokes to Black Rod You better get your skates on. The first race is at half past two. Dennis Skinner heckles the Queen of England. Everyone laughed when the Labour veteran joked and said, Get your skates on, the first race is half past two.