Lots of plaster filler for those small cracks or Polycell SmoothOver paint 
i tried Pine skirting boards but have found MDF to be much easier to work with an cut around radiator pipes etc. and takes gloss or satin paint very nicely.
After trying a little experiment, in the form of painting two lengths of MDF skirting with a Satin paint and then attaching to wall with a glue, the painted skirting board takes ages (days) for the paint to dry and if the hardwood floor or wall is uneven, then nails / screws are requires, so I ended up attaching the remaining MDF skirting boards to wall and then applying finishing paint as this made the job much quicker and family friendly.
Pic below of pre-primed MDF Skirting boards
In a completely sane world, madness is the only freedom (J.G.Ballard).
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