Brexiteer

/ˌbɹɛksɪˈtɪə(ɹ)/

From Brexit + -eer, playing on musketeer and the novel The Three Musketeers.

After Ken Clarke's "Charge of Light Brigade" hit on Brexiteers in @Daily_Telegraph, Defra SoS likened to Lord Raglan in #CAP reform debate

2013 June 18, Huw Irranca-Davies, “@huw4ogmore”, in Twitter, archived from the original on 2016-11-16:

Whether you are a Europhile or a Brexiteer, it’s hard to see what’s not to like about a market-driven initiative that aims to pull down barriers to more investment across Europe.

2015 October 4, William Wright, “A plan from Brussels where Britain can take the lead”, in The Daily Telegraph, London, archived from the original on 2018-11-09:

Denying he [David Cameron] was a "closet Brexiteer", as his former aide Steve Hilton has claimed, the PM told reporters: "I withdraw absolutely nothing I've previously said. Britain is an amazing country. We can find our way whatever the British people choose.

2016 May 27, “David Cameron: I am not a closet Brexiteer”, in The Herald, Glasgow:

A leading Tory Brexiteer has insisted quitting the EU does not mean the numbers of people coming to Britain will be slashed – and claimed Vote Leave never said it would.

2016 June 25, Tim Sculthorpe, “Tory Brexiteer Dan Hannan insists quitting the EU does NOT mean dramatic cuts to the number of immigrants coming to Britain”, in Daily Mail, London, archived from the original on 2016-06-26:

For Brexiteers in the UK, a free trade deal with the US was one of several promises made before and after the 2016 referendum that have failed to come to fruition.

2023 July 8, Jo Harper, “UK-US: What's happened to their free trade deal?”, in dw.com:

[Margaret] Thatcher was no Brexiteer. She was a strong supporter of the Single Market and thought that the [Channel] tunnel would help cement it.

2023 December 27, Christian Wolmar, “Hope springs eternal for greater use of the Channel Tunnel”, in RAIL, number 999, page 26:

(UK politics) Someone who supports Brexit, the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.

Completing the Three Brexiteers is Boris Johnson, the UK's new Foreign Secretary.

2016 July 14, Christian May, “May and the three Brexiteers lead Britain”, in City A.M., London:

For newspapers with only the Olympics to write about during August, the squabbling "Three Brexiteers" – the senior ministers supposedly tasked with executing the will of the British people to remove us from the European Union – came as a gift.

2016 September 7, Simon Heffer, “The Three Brexiteers”, in New Statesman, London, published 9–15 September 2016, archived from the original on 2018-10-20:

She [British Prime Minister Theresa May] urges people to get behind the team of ministers working for Brexit: David Davis, Liam Fox, Priti Patel and Boris Johnson. (It seems Patel has now been co-opted as a fourth Brexiteer.)

2016 October 2, Andrew Sparrow, “May says workers’ rights will be protected as long as she is PM – Politics live”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 2017-01-06:

That was until she announced that Boris Johnson would have to share Chevening, the foreign secretary’s grace-and-favour country retreat, with his fellow cabinet Brexiteers, David Davis and Liam Fox.

2016 October 31, Matt Chorley, “Bluster, bickering and three Brexiteers: Stage is set for a satire made in heaven: Yes Minister creator finds comic gold among Chevening’s trio of new tenants”, in The Times, London, archived from the original on 2017-01-08:

It's worth remembering all the Three Brexiteers, who campaigned to Leave, are still in place.

2017 June 11, Anoosh Chakelian, “Government reshuffle: Who’s who in Theresa May’s new team?: While attempting to cling on to power, the Prime Minister is making some new appointments”, in New Statesman, London, archived from the original on 2017-08-15:

At the moment, our future is being decided by Theresa May’s desperate attempts to remain as prime minister (and to do this she has to kowtow to the wishes of the three Brexiteers Boris Johnson, David Davis, and Jacob Rees-Mogg). The future, therefore, is not being decided by us.

2018 August 11, Athian Akec, “As a 15-year-old youth MP, I can tell you why ignoring our young people on the final Brexit deal will be a disaster”, in The Independent, London, archived from the original on 2018-08-15:

(UK politics) Usually in plural: a holder of any of the posts in the British Cabinet tasked with negotiating the country's exit from the European Union.


red box

gray-box testing
red box
white box (software engineering)

Coordinate term: dispatch box

Downing Street has rejected suggestions that David Cameron might have caused a security breach by briefly leaving his official ministerial red box unaccompanied on the table of a train carriage.

2013 September 9, Ben Quinn, “No 10 denies David Cameron red box security breach”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A secure briefcase-like box used by ministers in the British government to carry their documents.


Cranborne money

Named after Lord Cranborne, who was leader of the House of Lords when it was introduced on 27 November 1996.

(UK politics) An annual payment made to opposition parties in the House of Lords, to help them with their costs.


Short money

Named after Edward Short (later Lord Glenamara), the leader of the House of Commons who first proposed the payments.

(UK politics) An annual payment made to opposition parties in the House of Commons, to help them with their costs.


Remainiac

Though no Remainiac, I will vote in.

2016 June 11, Rachel Johnson, “RACHEL JOHNSON: Just stop picking on my big brother! (But, sorry Boris, I'm still voting In)”, in The Daily Mail:

Nevertheless, given that my proxy vote is safely secured back in Blighty, an international festival for creativity provides perfect context to ask the question, 'If the EU referendum were a competition in branding, which camp would win?’ Who gets your branding vote, Brexiteer or Remainiac?

2016 June 23, Greg Taylor, “If the EU referendum were a competition in branding, which side would win?”, in The Drum:

2017 August 2, Chris Campbell, “What was the point? Ferrari slates Remainiac in Brexit row for trying to ruin the Proms”, in Daily Express:

Together, they’ve conquered Middle England and seen of the Remainiacs.

2017 August 14, Julia Rampen, “5 unmissable Nigel Farage scenes from Bad Boys of Brexit: The Movie”, in New Statesman:

(UK politics, slang, neologism) One who opposes the idea of Brexit and wishes the United Kingdom to remain a member of the European Union.


Thatcher effect

Named after British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013), whose image was used as an example.

named-after

The phenomenon whereby it is more difficult to detect local feature changes in an upside-down face, despite identical changes being obvious in an upright face.


Thatcher illusion

Named after British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013).

optical illusion
optical illusion#English

The optical illusion resulting from the Thatcher effect.


Corbynmania

As Corbynmania took off, a paper cup he had drunk from at a rally was sold on eBay for £51.

2016, Rosa Prince, Comrade Corbyn: A Very Unlikely Coup:

Neither he, nor anyone else, had counted on 'Corbynmania' sweeping the Labour ranks as a growing base of young activists got fired up by an antiausterity message and the unassuming, authentic character promoting it.

(UK politics, neologism) Enthusiasm for Jeremy Corbyn (born 1949), British socialist politician elected leader of the Labour Party in 2015.


Brexiter

/ˈbɹɛɡzɪtə(ɹ)/

2016 February 20, Timothy Garton Ash, “Here’s how to argue with a Brexiter – and win”, in The Guardian, title:

Trump and the Tory Brexiters are cut from the same cloth.

2016 March 2, Deborah Orr, “What do Trump and Brexiters have in common? A disregard for all but themselves”, in The Guardian:

The proposal, made ahead of Thursday's crucial vote on Britain's continued EU membership, is designed to deflect accusations that Brexiters - as supporters of Britain's exit from the EU are popularly known - have used crude anti-immigrant and racist slogans to pollute the political debate during the EU referendum campaign and may have even indirectly inspired last week's murder of Mrs Jo Cox, a local opposition MP and fervent migration defender.

2016 June 21, Jonathan Eyal, “Brexiter's call for amnesty for illegals seen as a gimmick”, in The Straits Times:


ברקזיט

he-noun

בְּרֶקְזִיט • (brékzit) m

בְּרֶקְזִיט (canonical)
brékzit (romanization)


11 Downing Street

(UK politics) The address of the residence in London of the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom.

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer

(UK politics, by extension, idiomatic) The title or office of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

(UK politics, by extension, idiomatic) HM Treasury of the United Kingdom.


Number Eleven

11 Downing Street
11 Downing Street#English

(UK politics, colloquial) Synonym of 11 Downing Street


Johnsonism

en-noun

Johnsonism (countable and uncountable, plural Johnsonisms)

Truss won the race to replace Johnson by presenting herself as both the continuity candidate[…]and the new guard who would do away with all the boring bits of Johnsonism, such as raising taxes to pay for things.

2022 October 14, Tom McTague, “The Liz Truss Travesty Becomes Britain’s Humiliation”, in The Atlantic, retrieved 2022-10-15:

(UK politics) The ideology, doctrine and practice of former United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson.


remainer

The government’s “bullish” and “macho” approach to Brexit should not stop Conservative backbenchers from tabling amendments to the crucial repeal bill, a leading Tory remainer has said.

2017 September 4, “End ‘macho’ Brexit posturing, Anna Soubry urges May”, in The Guardian:

The reason this once-devout remainer doggedly sticks to these lines is obvious: even if opinion polling suggests that residual popular belief in Brexit is now ebbing away, the Labour party has to secure the support of people who voted leave in 2016, switched from Labour to the Tories in 2019, and would supposedly greet any talk of revisiting the basics of Brexit with anger and dismay.

2023 January 1, John Harris, “The wreckage of Brexit is all around us. How long can our politicians indulge in denial?”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of Remainer


Regrexit

Blend of regret + Brexit, said to have been coined on 24 June 2016 by one Carl Gardner in a Twitter post (see quotations) following the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum on 23 June 2016.

Labour has one chance now. To emerge within weeks as Britain's centrist "Regrexit Unionist" party. If it did that, even I might forgive it.

2016 June 24, Carl Gardner (@carlgardner), Twitter, archived from the original on 2016-11-02:

There are leave voters who confessed to reporters that they never thought their side would actually win, that their vote had only ever been intended as a protest, presumed to be safe because surely everyone else would vote the other way. […] A Twitter user came up with a new coinage for this rapid form of buyer's remorse: Regrexit. […] When some of those leave voters see that Brexit has not brought back the good jobs of old, that housing is still in desperately short supply and that a migrant family still lives round the corner, the Regrexit sentiment will grow.

2016 June 24, Jonathan Freedland, “For the 48%, this was a day of despair: Soon we will become little Britain. The signs of Regrexit are cold comfort for those of us who voted to remain.”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 2016-09-13, subtitle:

From reports, the UK is moving rapidly from Brexit to Regrexit.

2016 June 26, Abhidevananda <abhide...@sarkarverse.org>, “Re: Brexit”, in uk.philosophy.humanism (Usenet), message-ID <t9ybz.34812$LR2.4319@fx26.fr7>:

In the spirit of Brexit, these attitudes even have their own media-friendly nickname: Bregret or Regrexit.

2016 June 27, Adam Taylor, “Bregret? Regrexit? Don't bet on it.”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 2016-10-06:

There were many reasons for the Leave vote, and Regrexit is now gaining momentum.

2016 June 29, Anna Wallis, “Brexit lessons here”, in Wanganui Chronicle:

Within a few days, petitions to re-do the vote emerged with more than four million signatures, known as 'Regrexit.'

2017, Markus M.L. Crepaz, European Democracies, Routledge, →ISBN:

There's a chance, especially with the 'Regrexit' sentiment surfacing, that the U.K. will still be part of the EU in two years.

2018, Victor O. Okocha, Leadership and Development Crises in Africa: A New Approach to an Old Challenge, Dorrance Publishing, →ISBN, page 234:

(UK politics) A feeling of regret about Brexit taking place, or about having voted for it.


UKIPer

A supporter or member of UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party)


Defra

For Defra, funding for flood defences and disease prevention are likely to be protected.

2015 November 11, Emma Howard, “Defra hit by largest budget cuts of any UK government department, analysis shows”, in The Guardian:

w:Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

(UK politics) Initialism of Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.


DfE

Department for Education
w:Department for Education

(UK, education, UK politics) Initialism of Department for Education.


double-jobbing

(UK politics) The act of holding two or more political offices simultaneously.


brexit

brexitek (plural)
brexit (nominative singular)
brexitek (nominative plural)
brexitet (accusative singular)
brexiteket (accusative plural)
brexitnek (dative singular)
brexiteknek (dative plural)
brexittel (instrumental singular)
brexitekkel (instrumental plural)
brexitért (causal-final singular)
brexitekért (causal-final plural)
brexitté (singular translative)
brexitekké (plural translative)
brexitig (singular terminative)
brexitekig (plural terminative)
brexitként (essive-formal singular)
brexitekként (essive-formal plural)
brexitben (inessive singular)
brexitekben (inessive plural)
brexiten (singular superessive)
brexiteken (plural superessive)
brexitnél (adessive singular)
brexiteknél (adessive plural)
brexitbe (illative singular)
brexitekbe (illative plural)
brexitre (singular sublative)
brexitekre (plural sublative)
brexithez (allative singular)
brexitekhez (allative plural)
brexitből (elative singular)
brexitekből (elative plural)
brexitről (delative singular)
brexitekről (delative plural)
brexittől (ablative singular)
brexitektől (ablative plural)
brexité (singular)
brexiteké (plural)
brexitéi (singular)
brexitekéi (plural)
brexitem (first-person possessed-single possessive singular)
brexitjeim (first-person possessed-many possessive singular)
brexited (possessed-single possessive second-person singular)
brexitjeid (possessed-many possessive second-person singular)
brexitje (possessed-single possessive singular third-person)
brexitjei (possessed-many possessive singular third-person)
brexitünk (first-person plural possessed-single possessive)
brexitjeink (first-person plural possessed-many possessive)
brexitetek (plural possessed-single possessive second-person)
brexitjeitek (plural possessed-many possessive second-person)
brexitjük (plural possessed-single possessive third-person)
brexitjeik (plural possessed-many possessive third-person)

(UK politics) Brexit (withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union)


brexit

May se reúne hoy en Edimburgo con la ministra principal escocesa, la independentista Nicola Sturgeon, para abordar las consecuencias del brexit, la salida del Reino Unido de la UE.

2016 July 15, “May busca diálogo con Escocia por el brexit”, in El Deber Bolivia:


Corbynista

[…]although it was just as often dismissed: what use were a group of cultish, Trotskyist-infused Corbynista clicktivists, hopelessly out of touch with normal people, when it came to the crunch?

2017 June 1, Rachel Shabi, “What use is a group of cultish, Corbynista clicktivists? Quite a lot, actually”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

“In 2020 you told me to my face that you would ‘inspire people to come together … disciplining people to be united is going nowhere’. You’ve broken that promise,” said Driscoll, often described as “the last Corbynista in power” since becoming the first mayor for North of Tyne in 2019.

2023 July 17, Ben Quinn, “Jamie Driscoll quits Labour after snub in north-east mayor race”, in The Guardian:

“That is irritating the left of the Labour Party, so the more Corbynista/Momentum members want the Labour party to go much further in helping renters in a pushing back against Conservatives.”

2023 September 13, Anna Sagar, “Housing will not be priority for Labour or Conservatives going into next election, expert says”, in MortgageSolutions.co.uk:

(UK politics, informal) A supporter of British politician Jeremy Corbyn.


Remoaner

I am an unapologetic Remoaner, who regards Brexit as an unparalleled disaster.

2018 January 4, David Millward, “Even I, a snowflake Remoaner, feel it's about time we honoured Nigel Farage”, in Daily Telegraph:

Today, the Sun launches Remoaner Watch – starting with leading figures from the world of politics and the media (plus the entire BBC) for whom a love of all things EU still burns bright.

2022 June 18, Grant Rollings, “The Sun’s Remoaner Watch is on the lookout for evidence of Remoanery”, in The Sun:

For others, it’s the Blob or the “remoaner elite”, made up of the civil service, the BBC, the universities, the unions: anyone who, along with desperate refugees in small boats, can be blamed for standing between Britain and the promised Brexit nirvana.

2023 May 19, Jonathan Freedland, “They’re openly saying it: Brexit has failed. But what comes next may be very dark indeed”, in The Guardian:

2023 September 11, David Maddox, “Remoaner group who handed out EU flags at BBC Proms named and shamed after funding plea”, in Daily Express:

(UK politics, derogatory) A Remainer; one who complains about or rejects the outcome of the 2016 referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union.


Remainer

During the years following the EU referendum, Brexiters and Remainers both claimed him as their own.

2021, Otto English, Fake History, page 39:

(UK politics) Someone who supports the United Kingdom remaining within the European Union.


hard Brexit

Without question now, Britain is not ready for the negotiations, having spent the past year largely avoiding a real debate on the topic, other than a vague argument over the merits of a “hard Brexit” (as a clean break from the European Union is known), versus a “soft Brexit,” which would require more compromise.

2017 June 9, Steven Erlanger, Katrin Benhold, Stephen Castle, “The British Election That Somehow Made Brexit Even Harder”, in The New York Times:

Büsingen was mentioned amid talk of Britain following the example of Switzerland: outside the EU but with access to its single market through bilateral agreements that accept, among other things, freedom of movement for EU citizens. That all ended abruptly when British prime minister Theresa May steered the UK towards a hard Brexit, promising to prune back EU ties to a minimum to ensure maximum domestic control over borders.

2017 June 23, Derek Scally, “What can the North learn from a small German-Swiss town?”, in The Irish Times:

The hard Brexit case that leaving the customs union need not harm British industry, agriculture, distribution and commerce has been overwhelmingly dismissed by all these areas of the economy.

2019 March 11, Simon Jenkins, “If May loses Tuesday’s Brexit vote, she must back a customs union or go”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) The withdrawal of the United Kingdom both from the European Union and from European institutions (e.g. the European single market or the European Union Customs Union).


soft Brexit

The debate over the right terms and conditions for Britain’s departure from the European Union is often simplified into two clashing concepts: a soft Brexit and a hard one. The first tends to be favoured by those who voted Remain in the 2016 referendum, the second by those who voted Leave. Yet what is the real, practical difference between the two? And can bits of both be combined to some degree?

2018 June 25, J. P., “How a soft Brexit differs from a hard one”, in The Economist:

Labour's vision for a soft Brexit would have seen Britain remain closely aligned with the EU customs, tariff and regulatory regimes and the continent's single market. Such a relationship would have meant that Britain would continue to allow EU migrants to live and work in the United Kingdom, while withdrawing from the EU legislature.

2019 February 28, William Booth, Karla Adam, “UK Parliament votes down Labour's bid for a soft Brexit”, in New Zealand Herald:

(UK politics) The (hypothetical) withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union while generally remaining in European institutions (e.g. the European single market or customs union).


Bremainer

2016 August 2, Hayley Kirton, “Bremainer and Brexiteer team up to bolster British businesses”, in City A.M.:

The only question I am hearing wherever I go at the moment – apart from, ‘Have you been sacked from Top Gear yet for only getting nine million viewers a week?’ – is, are you a Brexiteer or a Bremainer? Are you in or out?

2016 June 11, Chris Evans, “BMW’s new mini monster is here. Get set for some... M-azing pace!”, in The Daily Mail:

(UK politics) Someone in favour of Britain remaining within the European Union.


Westminster bubble

Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament

(UK politics, derogatory) The collective group of Members of Parliament, civil servants, lobbyists, etc., seen as out of touch with the realities of life outside Parliament.


Westminster village

Westminster bubble
Westminster bubble#English

(UK politics, derogatory) Synonym of Westminster bubble


Betsygate

(informal, UK politics) A 2004 controversy around allegations that former United Kingdom Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith had put his wife Betsy on his payroll, without her doing any work.


Bigotgate

(informal, UK politics) A 2010 controversy that arose when British prime minister Gordon Brown was accidentally recorded calling a party supporter a bigot.


Donnygate

(informal, UK politics) A political scandal of the 1990s involving expenses fraud by councillors in Doncaster, United Kingdom.


Traingate

The train company did not breach data protection law for publishing the clip during the so-called traingate controversy.

2017 July 12, Katie Mansfield, “Virgin Trains cleared of rumbling Jeremy Corbyn with traingate CCTV clip”, in Daily Express:

(informal, UK politics) A 2016 controversy around a video of the politician Jeremy Corbyn sitting on the floor of a supposedly crowded train, which Corbyn used in support of his policy to reverse the 1990s privatization of British railways. Later, CCTV images were released that appeared to show Corbyn walking past available seats, leading to accusations that the incident had been staged for political gain.


Taxigate

(informal, UK politics) A 2005 scandal in which David McLetchie, leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, was found to have claimed thousands of pounds in taxi expenses, some for party business rather than parliament business.


Prydael

Prydael
Brydael (soft)
Mhrydael
Phrydael

Blend of Prydain (“Britain”) + gadael (“to leave”).


Leaver

(UK politics) Someone who supports Brexit, the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.


Brexodus

2016 June 29, Bloomberg, “Vodafone mulls London HQ move in Brexodus”, in Irish TImes:

2016 July 2, Márton Hoványi, Ádám Sághy, “Brexit or Brexodus. The theological evaluation of the Brexit”, in Shekinah Research Institute for Theology - Kötőszó, archived from the original on 2021-01-31:

Brexodus fears: Banks may leave London after the vote, it was claimed

2016 October 11, Nicholas Cecil, Pippa Crerar, “Fears grow of bank Brexodus from the City as pound slumps”, in Evening Standard:

So the Brexodus will also include skilled locals, who know they too are better off working in an environment that provides them with opportunities rather than constraints.

2016 November 10, Timothy Devinney, “Brexodus: the world’s highly skilled have options other than the UK”, in TES:

2017 August 7, Lucy McNulty, “City of London urges government to stop Brexodus”, in Financial Times:

(UK politics) The departure of people or companies from the UK due to Brexit.


IFS

At the IFS, they laboured in vain to bring the nation’s attention back to the real economic news, which wasn’t the budget so much as the tax and benefit changes set to kick in next month: […]

2017 March 13, Zoe Williams, “Cuts are a feminist issue. So what would a suffragette do?”, in The Guardian:

Institute for Fiscal Studies
w:Institute for Fiscal Studies

(UK politics, economics) Initialism of Institute for Fiscal Studies: an economic research institute based in London, United Kingdom, which specialises in UK taxation and public policy.


another place

(UK politics, In the House of Commons) the House of Lords.

House of Commons
House of Commons#English

(UK politics, In the House of Lords) the House of Commons.


Brexshit

Blend of Brexit + shit, perhaps in reference to bullshit (“statements that are false or exaggerated to impress or cheat the listener”).

My modest proposal is to construct a set of your own Brexshit bingo cards.

2016 June 16, AFP, “How to call bullshit on EU referendum campaign claims”, in New Statesman:

Demonstrators hold a banner reading "This is Brexshit" during a protest near Britain's embassy in Berlin on July 2, 2016.

2016 July 2, AFP, “Anti-Brexit protesters march in London”, in Express Tribune:

(UK politics, derogatory, vulgar) Brexit.


Iron Lady

On the lawn of the White House, with the Iron Lady beside him, Reagan may have pledged that Britain and the USA would 'stand side by side' in defending freedom -- just so long as it was on US terms.

2003, David Powell, Tony Benn New Edition, →ISBN, page 159:

On 16 October 1998, twenty-five years after he left the presidential palace in Santiago to tell the world the story of the Chilean Revolution, Joan Garcés sent to the Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón a petition asking for the urgent questioning of General Augusto Pinochet, who was preparing to leave London after a back operation and afternoon tea with his admirer, ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Over tea and scones, an older Pinochet told the Iron Lady that opinion polls predicted that Chile could have its first socialist president since 1973.

2013, Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, Story of a Death Foretold: The Coup Against Salvador Allende, 11 September 1973, →ISBN, page 376:

Using the metaphor of metalurgy he had deployed in the epic parliamentary debate at the start of the war, he rose at Prime Minister's Questions on 17 June to remind the House how he had predicted that the Falklands crisis should determine what metal the Iron Lady was made of.

2013, Jonathan Aitken, Margaret Thatcher: Power and Personality, →ISBN, page 372:

In March 1981, she was put to the test for the first time: Bobby Sands (1954-1981), an Irish republican prisoner, and his comrades began a hunger strike in order to obtain the status of political prisoners, thus showing their desire to receive better treatment. But the Iron Lady remained unmoved and ignored their request.

2017, Margaret Thatcher: The Iron Lady, →ISBN:

A nickname given to various female leaders, indicating that they are strong-willed and unyielding.


樞密院

/ʂu⁵⁵ mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛn⁵¹/

/syː⁵⁵ mɐt̚² jyːn³⁵/

/ʂu⁵⁵ mi⁵¹⁻⁵³ ɥɛn⁵¹/

/syː⁵⁵ mɐt̚² jyːn³⁵/


Maybot

From May + -bot. Popularised by John Crace for political sketches published since November 8th 2016.

Whirr. Clunk. Clang. The Maybot’s eyes rotated into life.

2016 November 8, John Crace, “Theresa struggles to take back control – from her own Maybot”, in The Guardian:

Theresa Villiers, the former Northern Ireland Secretary, sacked in the Maybot takeover, sported a vacuous grin throughout the whole mechanical exercise, confirming perhaps that the election chip had been successfully inserted.

2017 May 8, Michael Settle, “Election sketch: the Maybot repeats herself - strong and stable leadership; me not him”, in The Herald Scotland:

Her campaign team seemed to have found a patch for the Maybot.

2017 June 3, Andrew Rawnsley, “The Maybot and Monsieur Zen. A drama that didn’t obey the script”, in The Guardian:

2018 November 21, Brian Smith, letter to the editor in "‘Queue-jumping’ comment reveals the Tories’ moral vacuum", The Guardian.
The perils of AI decision-making incorporating false assumptions is nicely illustrated by the Maybot’s latest output: EU citizens will no longer be able to “jump the queue ahead of ... software developers from Delhi”.

(UK politics, derogatory, humorous) A nickname for Theresa May.


Alliance

(UK politics, historical) The alliance in the 1980s between the SDP and the Liberal Party, precursor of the Liberal Democrats.


Lexiteer

/ˈlɛksɪtɪəɹ/

A counterweight to the anti-immigrant fear mongering of the former leader of the right-wing U.K. Independence Party, Nigel Farage, Lexiteers argued a left-wing, democratic and internationalist case for Brexit.

2017 March 28, Alan Johnson, “Why Brexit Is Best for Britain: The Left-Wing Case”, in New York Times:

(UK politics) A leftist supporter of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union; a left-wing Brexiteer.


DExEU

Asked to respond to reports of ministers now being forced to consider a trade-off, the DExEU spokesman said they “did not recognise the language”.

(UK politics) The Department for Exiting the European Union.


Kipper

en-noun

Kipper (countable and uncountable, plural Kippers)

A supporter or member of UKIP (United Kingdom Independence Party).


Young England

(UK politics, historical) A Victorian group of young Tory politicians who opposed free trade and radicalism and professed a sentimental attachment to earlier forms of social life in England.


Blajorism

He added: ‘Commentators say that the Tories and Labour have merged in the middle into Blajorism but that is far too kind to Labour. Blair is adrift in a sea of fudge.’

1994 September 23, John Arlidge, The Independent:

New Labour leader Tony Blair was described as an advocate of ‘Blajorism’ in recognition of Labour's policy similarities with Major's Conservatives.

2002, Peter Lynch, SNP: The History of the Scottish National Party, page 216:

In short, the characters played by Robert Carlyle had been disenfranchised by the political rush for the centre ground of Blajorism.

2013, Alwyn W. Turner, A Classless Society, Aurum Press, published 2014, page 449:

(UK politics) The policies of Conservative Prime Minister John Major and his successor, the Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair, seen as representing one indistinguishable social and economic outlook.


Westlandgate

(UK, slang) A 1985 controversy around government plans to bail out the helicopter company Westland.


SAO

SAO (countable and uncountable, plural SAOs)

Specified Associated Organisation
w:Specified Associated Organisation

(UK politics) Initialism of Specified Associated Organisation.


cakeism

From cake + -ism, referring to have one's cake and eat it too.

What is now known as “cakeism” – the idea that the UK can have everything it wants merely because it wants it – is becoming, like climate-change denial, the subject of rational discussion.

2017, The New European, "The delusions of Cakeism", Bonnie Greer, 15 September 2017

The letter is the latest blatant example of British cakeism.

2018, The Guardian, "David Davis's petulant leaked letter is the latest slice of Brexit cakeism", Jonathan Lis, 10 January 2018

The government has adopted Johnson's notorious attitude to cake – wanting to have it and to eat it – and made cakeism its defining creed.

2021, The Guardian, "The dishonesty of Boris Johnson has finally infected the entire government", Jonathan Freedland, 19 November 2021

Cakeism is not a formula that works in government because, in reality, the cake has to be rationed and people notice.

2021, The Guardian, "The Tories said we could have our cake and eat it – now they are stuffed and voters are hungry", Rafael Behr, 22 December 2021

"Cakeism" has run riot — vast, incoherent ambitions detached from political, economic and business realities.

2022, The Guardian, "Brexit legacy is just the start of incoming PM's problems as cost of living crisis spirals", Will Hutton, 10 July 2022

having one's cake and eating it too
have one's cake and eat it too

(UK politics) The doctrine of having one's cake and eating it too, particularly regarding the UK’s approach to Brexit negotiations and subsequent deliberations.


Pestminster

Those following what has been dubbed “Pestminster” may nevertheless struggle to keep up with the Byzantine internal reporting structures, the range of accusations being levied and the sheer number of MPs involved.

2017 3 November, Julia Rampen, “A week in Pestminster”, in New Statesman:

Activists turned Westminster into “Pestminster” today to highlight a perceived lack of action over Parliament’s sexual harassment scandal.

2018 26 October, Kate Proctor, Ella Wills, “The next station is now Pestminster”, in Evening Standard:

It’s shocking that two years after the ‘Pestminster’ scandal, female MPs are fleeing politics.

2019 31 October, Catherine Mayer, “It’s shocking that two years after the ‘Pestminster’ scandal, female MPs are fleeing politics”, in The Telegraph:

(UK, informal) A scandal involving sexual harassment by members of the British parliament.


Eustonite

(rare, UK politics) Someone who has signed or otherwise supports the Euston Manifesto; a liberal or leftist who supports a neoconservative foreign policy.


Bliar

(derogatory, UK politics) A pejorative nickname for former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, usually in reference to his support for the Iraq War.


Brexity

en-adj

Brexity (comparative more Brexity, superlative most Brexity)

more Brexity (comparative)
most Brexity (superlative)

It feels a bit Brexity: a pained cry from the past, “We want our Shakespearean canon back!”

2016 October 26, David Greig, “Emma Rice’s exit from Shakespeare’s Globe feels a bit Brexity”, in New Statesman:

It is a society that has evolved separately from Britain’s mainland and its Anglican beliefs, but it looks like an alternative reality of fiercely insular, irrational England. Is there anything more Brexity than this?

2018 June 7, Peter Bradshaw, “The scariest horror films ever – ranked!”, in The Guardian:

She doesn't admit that I'm right — she has been distracted by a woman she has seen out of the window, limping out from a Brexity pub called The Dame's Garter with a vape dangling from her puckered lips […]

(UK, informal) Characteristic of Brexit, or the attitudes thought to underlie it; parochial, jingoistic.


Lib Dems

(UK politics, informal) The Liberal Democrats.


Blue Labour

It doesn't take a genius to see that its hostility towards statism, in the context of economic crisis and austerity, could provide useful ideological cover for an assault on welfare. Blue Labour thinking, here, converges seamlessly with Cameron's “big society”.

2011 May 21, Ed Rooksby, “Don't underestimate toxic Blue Labour”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A political tendency advocating the belief that working-class voters will be won back to Labour through socially conservative ideas on certain issues.


Chequers agreement

Named after Chequers, the country house of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, where the white paper was formulated.

(informal) A white paper published in July 2018 outlining the relationship the UK was seeking with the European Union after Brexit.


Chequers plan

A letter to the Sunday Telegraph signed by more than 30 Tory association chairmen complaining that the prime minister’s Chequers plan “does not deliver the Brexit that we, as Conservatives, promised”.

2018 September 30, Matthew d'Ancona, “The Tories are a party in crisis, their identity in desperate shape”, in The Guardian:

Chequers agreement
Chequers agreement#English


Winstonian

Winstonian (comparative more Winstonian, superlative most Winstonian)

more Winstonian (comparative)
most Winstonian (superlative)


Treasury Bench

(UK politics) The front bench in the House of Commons.


God-Save-the-Kinger

The Bill does not deal with Germans only, it deals with all aliens, including those whom our friends opposite – the flag-waggers, the band players, the God-save-the-Kingers — spoke of as “our brother Allies.”

1920, Australia. Parliament, Parliamentary Debates: Senate and House of Representatives:

Protestants, generally speaking, were God-save-the-Kingers and went to Mass in the afternoon or the night instead of in the morning.

1972, James Plunkett, The Gems She Wore: A Book of Irish Places, page 35:

But the situation is not without its humorous side; it is delightful to listen to the former red-white-and-blue people -- the bigoted Unionists-- the erstwhile 'God Save the Kingers', expressing their views on the present régime.

1979, Dervla Murphy, Wheels Within Wheels, page 29:

(derogatory) An outspoken supporter of the British Government when the monarch is a king.


shy Tory

(UK politics) A person who intends to vote for the Conservative Party but who does not reveal this fact when polled.


washup

(UK politics, slang) The period prior to dissolution of parliament, in which any remaining bills are quickly pushed through or else abandoned.


Breatimeacht

head

Breatimeacht m or f (genitive Breatimeachta)

Breatimeachta (genitive)
nominative (indefinite)
Breatimeacht (indefinite singular)
vocative (indefinite)
a Bhreatimeacht (indefinite singular)
genitive (indefinite)
Breatimeachta (indefinite singular)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an Breatimeacht (definite singular)
genitive (definite)
an Bhreatimeachta (definite singular)
dative (definite)
leis an mBreatimeacht (definite singular)
don Bhreatimeacht (definite singular)
nominative
Breatimeacht (singular)
vocative
a Bhreatimeacht (singular)
genitive
Breatimeachta (singular)
dative
nominative (definite)
an Bhreatimeacht (definite singular)
genitive (definite)
na Breatimeachta (definite singular)
dative (definite)
leis an mBreatimeacht (definite singular)
don Bhreatimeacht (definite singular)
Breatimeacht
Bhreatimeacht
mBreatimeacht

Blend of Breatain (“Britain”) + imeacht (“departure”), formed by analogy with English Brexit.

blend

2017 May 3, "Breatimeacht" (Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin)

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is coordinating the whole-Government response to Brexit.

Tá an Roinn Gnóthaí Eachtracha agus Trádála ag comhordú freagairt an uile-Rialtais ar an mBreatimeacht.

Dúirt Rúnaí na Breatimeachta, Dominic Raab, go mba fhéidir nach mbeadh aon rogha ag an Ríocht Aontaithe ach an tAontas Eorpach (AE) a fhágáil gan margadh.

2018 October 1, "'Breatimeacht gan margadh an t-aon rogha b'fhéidir'-Dominic Raab" (RTÉ, Dublin)

Secretary of Brexit Dominic Raab said the UK may have no choice but to leave the European Union (EU) without a deal.


Sasamach

Blend of Sasana (“England”) + amach (“out, away”), formed by analogy with English Brexit and punning on Sasanach (“English”)

I gcás Sasamach, mar sin, dá bhfógrofaí maidin Dé Luain go raibh sé i gceist sa chéad dul síos maolú a dhéanamh ar stádas an Bhéarla mar theanga oibre agus díriú ar phríomhtheangacha oifigiúla na mBallstát san Aontas, bhuel, ní fhéadfainn a rá nach gcuirfinn fáilte roimh a leithéid de thoradh. […] Mar gheall ar Sasamach, bheadh sé le maíomh againnne, Gaeil, nach teanga riachtanach an Béarla níos mó.

2016 June 20, Sarah de Búrca Sasamach - leas nó aibhleas? (Meon Eile, Belfast)

In the case of Brexit, therefore, if it were announced on Monday morning that it was intended in the first instance to relax the status of English as a working language and to focus on the main official languages of the Member States of the Union, well, I could not say that I would not welcome such a result. […] Because of Brexit, we Gaels would claim that English is no longer a necessary language.


Corbynomics

The trouble is, the choice is a dismal one. If you think Corbynomics is wacky, take a look at Trumponomics.

2015 December 15, Matthew Lynn, "Whoever wins the US presidency, the economy is going to be the loser", The Daily Telegraph

Piecing together Corbynomics is difficult, not least because it has evolved during Mr Corbyn’s time in charge of Labour. The gulf between the Labour leadership’s past positions and the milder proposals in the manifesto means that enormous uncertainty hangs over what a Corbyn-led government would do in office.

2018 May 17, “Corbynomics would change Britain—but not in the way most people think”, in The Economist:

The Labour leadership’s calculation is that Corbynomics couched in these terms – as a fiscal remedy to social ills - is a proposition the public agrees with. May’s faltering performance will only boost their confidence.

2019 March 6, Patrick Maguire, “The Conservatives are losing on knife crime, and three other lessons from this week’s PMQs”, in New Statesman:

(UK politics) The economic ideas and policies of British politician Jeremy Corbyn.


usual channels

(UK politics) Communication channels between the government and the main opposition party, used to discuss matters pertaining to the business of parliament.


Corbynism

Two accounts of Corbynism – by journalists Gabriel Pogrund and Patrick Maguire and the Guardian’s Owen Jones – unpick Labour’s rapid descent from the optimism of ‘Oh, Jeremy Corbyn’ to landslide defeat at the polls[.]

2020 September 13, John Harris, “Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn; This Land: The Story of a Movement - review”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

Corbynism was as hopeful as it was hopeless. From his 2015 leadership election victory to the following general election, it offered a screen on to which people, tired of both technocratic and insipid New Labour wannabies and austerity, projected their hopes and fears. People queued round the block to hear him speak and then voted for him in droves.

2022 June 8, Neal Lawson, “Keir Starmer, you have a golden opportunity. Now try a bit of Corbynism”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) The political philosophy exemplified by Jeremy Corbyn of the British Labour Party, characterised by antiausterity and renationalization policies.


Lib-Lab

(UK politics, historical) A Liberal candidate who was financially maintained by trade unions and supposed to represent the working classes.


Liberal Party

Liberal Democrats
Liberal Democrats#English

(UK politics) The predecessor of the Liberal Democrats


Brexit Party

(UK politics) A British single-issue trans-European political party of the European Parliament dedicated to extracting Great Britain from the European Union


EHRC

Equality and Human Rights Commission
w:Equality and Human Rights Commission

(UK politics) Initialism of Equality and Human Rights Commission.


indy-curious

/ˌɪndiˈkjʊəɹɪəs/

(UK politics) Interested in the possibility of independence (for Wales), without necessarily being in favour of it.


Backstop

(UK) A proposed seamless border between Ireland and Northern Ireland in the event of Brexit.


Tartan Tory

Compound of tartan (“distinctive pattern of cloth used by a Scottish clan”) + Tory (“Conservative”).

compound

(Scotland, UK politics, somewhat dated) A member or supporter of the Scottish National Party, connoting sentimentality or old-fashionedness.


Stormont

The proposal requires Stormont to approve the special arrangements for Northern Ireland to remain aligned with the EU before the end of the transition period and every four years after that.

2019 October 3, Lisa O'Carroll, “What are the concerns over Stormont's role in proposed Brexit deal?”, in The Guardian:

Downing Street hopes the package, combined with parallel negotiations with the DUP over post-Brexit trading arrangements, will persuade the DUP leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, to restore Stormont after almost two years of political stasis.

2023 December 11, Rory Carroll, Ben Quinn, “Northern Irish leaders offered £2.5bn package in bid to revive Stormont”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly

(metonymically, UK politics) The Northern Ireland Assembly.


Tory Party

(UK politics, historical) Any of several centre-right groupings that historically existed in the UK Parliament between 1678 and the 1800s. Members of the Tory Party founded the modern Conservative Party.

Mr Cleverly, the Chairman of the Tory Party, hit out at Philip Hammond following his announcement to not stand as Conservative MP in the December 12 election.

2019 November 5, Claire Anderson, “James Cleverly savages Philip Hammond's reasons for leaving Tory party as 'wrong'”, in The Express:

Following Theresa May’s departure, Tory party candidates running for prime minister appeared to agree that an investigation into the problem was needed, only to backtrack and give the nod instead to an investigation into all types of “prejudice and discrimination, including antisemitism.”

2019 November 18, Mobashra Tazamal, “I've been researching Islamophobia for years – don’t let anyone tell you there isn’t an epidemic within the Tory party”, in The Independent:

British Conservative Party
w:Conservative Party (UK)

(UK politics) Synonym of the British Conservative Party


United Kingdom Independence Party

UK Independence Party
UK Independence Party#English

(UK politics) Alternative form of UK Independence Party.


Article 50

Article 50 of the Lisbon treaty sets out how an EU country might voluntarily leave the union. The wording is vague, almost as if the drafters thought it unlikely it would ever come into play.

2016 June 25, Jennifer Rankin, Julian Borger, Mark Rice-Oxley, “What is article 50 and why is it so central to the Brexit debate?”, in The Guardian:

The Scottish cross-bench peer who wrote Article 50 - the procedure by which the UK would leave the EU - believed it was "not irrevocable". In a BBC interview, Lord Kerr of Kinlochard said the UK could choose to stay in the EU even after exit negotiations had begun.

2016 November 3, Glenn Campbell, “Article 50 author Lord Kerr says Brexit not inevitable”, in BBC News:

Today, therefore, I am writing to give effect to the democratic decision of the people of the United Kingdom. I hereby notify the European Council in accordance with Article 50 (2) of the Treaty on European Union of the United Kingdom’s intention to withdraw from the European Union.

2017 March 29, Theresa May, Theresa May’s Letter Invoking Article 50:

If the Liberal Democrats were to secure a majority in December, they would revoke Article 50, cancelling Brexit.

2019 November 24, Stephen Wynn-Davies, “Hastings and Rye candidates outline their stances on Brexit”, in The Hastings Observer:

(European politics) Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon which holds the EU's exit clause, allowing and setting out rules for countries leaving the European Union.


divorce bill

In part, this is because it is impossible to know what the UK’s divorce bill will be until the EU knows what the relationship looks likes after 2019: if the UK seeks to stay as a paying member within some programmes, for example, that would reduce the bill.

2017 June 20, Daniel Boffey, “Brexit divorce bill: what is it and how does it affect talks?”, in The Guardian:

Theresa May has told MPs the UK could withhold payment of its £39bn Brexit "divorce bill" if a deal is not reached with Brussels.

2018 September 13, Alec McGuinness, “Theresa May says UK might not pay Brexit 'divorce bill' in 'no-deal' scenario”, in Sky News:

The Brexit party revealed plans today to slash the foreign aid budget and withhold the £39billion so-called 'divorce bill' from the EU if it takes power.

2019 November 1, David Wilcock, “Cut the foreign aid budget and don't give Brussels a penny of the £39billion 'divorce bill' - the Brexit Party reveals its general election manifesto”, in The Daily Mail:

The UK's Brexit divorce bill could soar to £42.5 billion after the Treasury increased its estimate of the payments owed to the European Union by more than £5 billion.

2022 July 21, Sam Blewett, “Brexit Divorce Bill Could Soar to £42.5 Billion as Treasury Boosts Estimate”, in Bloomberg:

(UK politics) The payment to be given to the EU on the UK's exit of the European Union, estimated at around £39bn.


post-Brexit

In a step that may stoke concerns in Britain that Brexit could hasten the fragmentation of the UK, diplomats are planning to ask leaders of the EU’s 27 post-Brexit member countries to endorse the idea in a summit on Saturday.

2017 April 28, Alex Barker, Arthur Beesley, Vincent Boland, “EU prepares for post-Brexit membership for united Ireland”, in The Financial Times:

Senior EU figures have attacked Theresa May’s post-Brexit immigration plan with the president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, signalling that he expects a row with the British prime minister at an upcoming “moment of truth” summit.

2018 October 2, Daniel Boffey, “EU anger over May's post-Brexit immigration plan”, in The Guardian:

Tens of thousands of low-skilled migrants could come to the UK to work for up to a year under proposed new post-Brexit immigration rules. The measure, which would last until 2025, is intended to protect parts of the economy reliant on overseas labour.

2018 December 19, “Immigration: White Paper sets out post-Brexit rules for migrants”, in the BBC:

Theresa May's government consistently rejected proposals and amendments to the 2018 Withdrawal Act to maintain current rights and protections post-Brexit. She appeared content to see the back of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, a huge loss which would mean less power to protect rights for women, and also to do away with the 2006 and 2010 Equalities Acts.

2019 November 25, Mary Honeyball, “Boris Johnson's Brexit day would be a dark day for women”, in The New European, archived from the original on 2019-11-27:

Member states, MEPs and the new EU commission are all gearing up to launch a discussion on the future of post-Brexit Europe early next year.

2019 November 26, Eszter Zalan, “EU gears up for post-Brexit renovation”, in The EU Observer:

‘Choose London’: Sadiq Khan steps up efforts to lure EU citizens post-Brexit [title]

2023 October 6, Heather Stewart, “‘Choose London’: Sadiq Khan steps up efforts to lure EU citizens post-Brexit”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(European politics) Referring to the time after the UK leaves the EU.


APNI

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland#English

(UK politics) Abbreviation of Alliance Party of Northern Ireland.


kincstári kancellár

head

kincstári kancellár (plural kincstári kancellárok)

kincstári (“treasury”) + kancellár (“chancellor”)

af

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer

Chancellor of the Exchequer (British minister of finance)


Johnsonite

The diffuse nature of the uprising has had some advantages. Johnsonites haven’t been able to plausibly portray them as disgruntled remainers when the regicides include such staunch enthusiasts for Brexit as Steve Baker and David Davis.

2022 June 12, Andrew Rawnsley, “Boris Johnson’s spineless cabinet of mediocrities are too feeble to wield the dagger”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A political supporter of Boris Johnson (born 1964), British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022.


Wee Free

(UK politics, historical) A small group in the 1918 Liberal Party who on principle did not want to go into coalition with the Conservative Party.


Ponsonby Rule

Named after British politician and legislator Arthur Ponsonby, 1st Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede.

named-after

(UK politics) A constitutional convention (which acquired legal force in 2010) dictating that most international treaties had to be laid before Parliament 21 days before ratification.


Black Act

(UK, historical) An act of the Parliament of Great Britain passed in 1723 in response to a series of raids by two groups of poachers, known as the Blacks. It greatly strengthened the criminal code and specified over 200 capital crimes.


Closing Opposition

The team in a British Parliamentary Style debate which gets the sixth and eighth (last) speech.


No 10

Coordinate term: No 11

As it is, there was something almost surreal about a No 10 press conference that saw journalists asking when we might be allowed out again while the death toll was climbing towards 1,000 a day.

2020 April 9, Gaby Hinsliff, “We used to moan about normal life, now our fear is we'll never get it back”, in The Guardian:

Government sources, however, continued to brief that No 10 and No 11 were considering bringing the date forward.

2022 October 4, “Truss government in chaos amid budget confusion and coup accusations”, in The Guardian:

10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street#English

(UK politics) Synonym of 10 Downing Street.


Borisian

Driverless Tube trains may sound like a dystopian Borisian fantasy, but even if the London mayor may wish to reduce the workforce, much of the actual driving was eliminated from some Underground drivers' jobs as early as 1967 when the Victoria line opened.

2014 August 13, Gwyn Topham, “Open data and driverless buses: how London transport heads to the future”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to Boris Johnson (born 1964), English politician and prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022.


Toryshire

From Tory + -shire, as if the name of a county.

(UK politics, informal) Those parts of the United Kingdom whose residents overwhelmingly vote for the Conservative Party.


Brexocalypse

2016 July 4, Alex Proud, “10 reasons to be cheerful (during the Brexocalypse)”, in The Daily Telegraph:

In Britain, stockpiling for the Brexocalypse has taken over from Black Friday shopping as the consumer event of the year, with reports of everything from wine to tins of chilli con carne being hoarded in the name of #takingbackcontrol – but should we be doing the same?

2018 December 18, Jennifer O'Connell, ““Brexit stockpile: Favourite foods you might not know are British”, in The Irish Times:

How should we, on our small island in Spain be preparing for an inevitable and impending Brexocalypse?

2019 March, “Galley Goddess”, in The Islander Magazine, page 116:

(UK politics) The negative economic and political impact of Brexit.


Maggie's den

An allusion to prime minister Margaret Thatcher at 10 Downing Street.

(bingo) A traditional call for the number ten.


Winter of Discontent

An allusion to the opening line of William Shakespeare's play Richard III ("Now is the winter of our discontent").

Nor is the government facing a strike by tanker drivers, as was the case in early 1979 during the winter of discontent.

2021 September 23, Larry Elliott, “Petrol disruption will fuel fears of new winter of discontent”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics, historical) A period during 1978–79 in the United Kingdom, when the Labour Party's efforts to control inflation led to widespread strikes by public-sector trade unions demanding larger pay rises.


Singapore-on-Thames

An allusion to various English towns called (name)-on-Thames, and the economic success of Singapore after its separation from Malaysia. London, the capital of the United Kingdom, is situated on the River Thames.

The idea that London might have a post-Brexit future as a kind of deregulated “Singapore-on-Thames” is one of the more curious notions to have emerged in the three and a half years since the UK’s citizens voted narrowly to leave the EU in the fateful June 2016 referendum.

2019 December 17, Howard Davies, “Will the UK really turn into 'Singapore-on-Thames' after Brexit?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics, economics) A proposed model for the United Kingdom after Brexit, involving laissez-faire free trade unencumbered by regulation.

en:River Thames
en:Singapore
en:Singapore-on-Thames


托利

/tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ li⁵¹/

/tʰu̯ɔ⁵⁵ li⁵¹/


Briteliro

brita (“British”) + eliro (“exit”). Calque of English Brexit.


Breksiĝo

Blend of brita eksiĝo (“British resignation”). Calque of English Brexit, made to sound similar to the English term.


Faragism

From Farage + -ism. From Nigel Farage, a British politician.

(British politics, informal) The ideology, practice, philosophy and politics espoused by British nationalist autonomist sovereigntist politician Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party (UKIP), and, Reform UK.


cakeist

en-adj

cakeist (comparative more cakeist, superlative most cakeist)

more cakeist (comparative)
most cakeist (superlative)

Some said the proposed Brexit deal was cakeist.

May's cakeist approach to Brexit (as in, having it and eating it) is beginning to find its limits.

2017 September 22, Anne Perkins, “Theresa May's Florence speech – our writers' verdicts”, in The Guardian:

As a leadership candidate, Mr Johnson has run a strongly cakeist campaign.

2019 July 15, Gideon Rachman, “Boris Johnson, ‘cakeism’ and the Blitz spirit”, in the Financial Times:

Harry and Meghan are easy to sympathize with. Who isn’t in favor of having cake and eating it, too? In politics, after all, everyone is a cakeist: No one wants to pay more tax, but everyone wants better services.

2020 January 10, Tom McTague, “The Hypocrisy of Harry and Meghan’s Decision”, in The Atlantic:

I want you to see that this is a cakeist treaty.

2020 December 30, “Post-Brexit trade: UK having its cake and eating it, says Boris Johnson”, in BBC News:

In the cakeist view, Britain could retain the benefits of EU membership without any obligation to European law.

2021 December 22, Rafael Behr, “The Tories said we could have our cake and eat it – now they are stuffed and voters are hungry”, in The Guardian:

having one's cake and eating it
having one's cake and eating it

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to having one's cake and eating it.


Butskellian

Butskellian (comparative more Butskellian, superlative most Butskellian)

more Butskellian (comparative)
most Butskellian (superlative)

(UK politics, now historical) Of or relating to Butskellism.


Quad

(UK politics, historical) A coalition committee that resolved party disputes during the Cameron–Clegg coalition.


PNQ

private notice question
private notice question#English

(UK politics) Initialism of private notice question.


private notice question

en-noun

private notice question (plural private notice questions)

(UK politics) A topical question asked of the government by a member of the House of Lords, requiring an immediate response.


reasoned amendment

reasoned amendment (plural reasoned amendments)

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament

(UK politics) A negative response by a Member of Parliament to a proposed bill, providing reasons why it should be rejected rather than receiving a second or third reading.


тэтчеризм

ru-noun+

тэтчери́зм • (tɛtčerízm) m inan (genitive тэтчери́зма, nominative plural тэтчери́змы, genitive plural тэтчери́змов)

тэтчери́зм (canonical)
tɛtčerízm (romanization)
тэтчери́зма (genitive)
тэтчери́змы (nominative plural)
тэтчери́змов (genitive plural)
тэтчери́зм (nominative singular)
тэтчери́змы (nominative plural)
тэтчери́зма (genitive singular)
тэтчери́змов (genitive plural)
тэтчери́зму (dative singular)
тэтчери́змам (dative plural)
тэтчери́зм (accusative singular)
тэтчери́змы (accusative plural)
тэтчери́змом (instrumental singular)
тэтчери́змами (instrumental plural)
тэтчери́зме (prepositional singular)
тэтчери́змах (plural prepositional)


Foreign Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

(UK politics) A department of the British Government, headed by the Foreign Secretary, that is responsible for maintaining and developing Britain's diplomatic and trade relations with other countries, as well supporting its citizens and businesses around the world. Official full name: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, formerly (until 2020) Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


Foreign and Commonwealth Office

the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (canonical)

(UK politics) The former (until 2020) official full name of the Foreign Office; now the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.


Foreign Secretary

en-noun

Foreign Secretary (plural Foreign Secretaries)

Philip Hammond has been appointed chancellor of the exchequer and Boris Johnson foreign secretary as Theresa May allocated the top posts in her cabinet on her first evening as prime minister.

2016 July 13, Peter Walker, “Theresa May unveils cabinet, with Hammond and Johnson in top jobs”, in The Guardian, London:

(UK politics) The British cabinet minister who heads the Foreign Office and is responsible for Britain's relations and dealings with other countries. Official full title: Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs.


en-proper noun

the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

(UK politics) The official full name of the Foreign Office.

bureau des Affaires étrangères et du Commonwealth

Ufficio degli esteri, del Commonwealth e dello sviluppo

Ministerstvo inostrannyx del i meždunarodnovo razvitija Velikobritanii

Министерство иностранных дел и международного развития Великобритании

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y de la Mancomunidad de Naciones


SpAd

(UK politics, informal) Alternative letter-case form of spad (“special adviser”)


Abbreviation of second independence referendum.

(Scotland, informal) A proposed second referendum on Scottish independence

Proposed second Scottish independence referendum


Norway-plus

From the similarity to Norway's arrangement, with plus denoting the addition of a customs union outside of EFTA.

European Economic Area
European Economic Area

(UK, politics) A proposal for a post-Brexit settlement that would have consisted of membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Economic Area as an EFTA member state, combined with a separate customs union with the European Union.


Awkward Bench

Described as 'a sabre-toothed growler on Labour's awkward bench' (Robert Hardman), he sits alongside Dennis Skinner a mere arm's length from the Chief Whip, whom, in opposition during the 1992 Parliament, he defied 52 times, […]

1999, Robert Waller, Byron Criddle, The Almanac of British Politics, page 288:

I am pleased that he is on the awkward Bench and hope to see him here in future.

2005, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), page 451:

(UK politics, slang) The front row of seats below the gangway on the Labour side of the House of Commons, where rebel MPs often sit.


below the gangway

(UK politics) On the benches in the House of Commons located past the central aisle and relatively far from the Speaker, generally occupied by minority groups not belonging to either the government or the Shadow Cabinet.


Bozza

(UK politics, slang) The British politician and journalist Boris Johnson (born 1964), Mayor of London from 2008 to 2016 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022.


red wall

Coined by pollster James Kanagasooriam in August 2019.

coin

Coordinate term: blue wall

Truss claims to have grown up in a “red wall” seat. This is not just a wilful anachronism, it is flatly untrue.

2022 July 18, Martin Pengelly, “I grew up where Liz Truss did, attended the same school. She’s not telling you the truth”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A set of constituencies, in the Midlands, Northern England and North East Wales, which have historically tended to support the Labour Party.


max fac

(UK politics, historical) A rejected proposal to resolve the Irish border issue of Brexit by introducing technology and legislation that would streamline customs arrangements; ultimately the Northern Ireland Protocol was implemented instead.


regrexiteer

(UK politics) A person suffering from regrexit (a feeling of regret about Brexit taking place, or about having voted for it).


pre-Brexit

(European politics) Referring to the time before Brexit.


New Right

While clearly opposed to the political thrust of much 'Heritage' cinema (Sammy and Rosie, in particular, in programmatically anti-Tory: for example, the property developer who ousts the 'straggly kids' is one of Thatcher's MPs and her vision of a 'new Britain' is blatantly lampooned), Kureishi's films do not, however, endorse traditional kinds of Left oppositional politics as the best means by which to challenge the hegemony of the New Right.

2001, Bart Moore-Gilbert, Hanif Kureishi, page 89:

Various right-wing political groups or policies in different countries:

(UK politics, historical) A strand of conservatism influenced by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, committed to economic liberalism as well as being socially conservative.


Partygate

2021 December 8, “'Partygate' strains trust in Boris Johnson's government”, in Financial Times:

2021 December 8, “Partygate: Tory anger as Boris Johnson told he 'should resign' if he misled Parliament”, in The Telegraph:

(UK politics) The controversy surrounding members of the government holding parties in 2020 and 2021 during COVID-19 lockdowns, when gatherings were banned.


Toriel

(Oxford University slang, derogatory, UK politics) Oriel College, Oxford.


GPEW

Green Party of England and Wales
w:Green Party of England and Wales

(UK politics) Initialism of Green Party of England and Wales.


Plaid Cymru

A Welsh political party, committed to Welsh independence from the UK


віг

uk-noun

віг • (vih) m pers (genitive ві́га, nominative plural ві́ги, genitive plural ві́гів)

vih (romanization)
ві́га (genitive)
ві́ги (nominative plural)
ві́гів (genitive plural)
віг (nominative singular)
ві́ги (nominative plural)
ві́га (genitive singular)
ві́гів (genitive plural)
ві́гові (dative singular)
ві́гу (dative singular)
ві́гам (dative plural)
ві́га (accusative singular)
ві́гів (accusative plural)
ві́гом (instrumental singular)
ві́гами (instrumental plural)
ві́гові (locative singular)
ві́гу (locative singular)
ві́гах (locative plural)
ві́гу (singular vocative)
ві́ги (plural vocative)

uk:Віги (партія)


hanger and flogger

en-noun

hanger and flogger (plural hangers and floggers)

I am certainly not a hanger and flogger and I hate the occasions when we have to deprive someone of their liberty, but sometimes that has to be done.

1994 April 25, Joan Seccombe, Baroness Seccombe, “Criminal Justice And Public Order Bill”, in parliamentary debates (House of Lords), column 487:

Kenneth Clarke yesterday intensified his assault on Iain Duncan Smith when he dismissed his rival for the Tory leadership as a rightwing "hanger and flogger".

2001 August 30, Nicholas Watt, “Clarke dismisses Tory rival as a 'hanger and flogger'”, in The Guardian:

Later, as shadow home secretary, with her devout Catholicism informing her political positions, she [Ann Widdecombe] had opposed gay marriage, opposed the equalization of the age of consent for men, opposed abortion, but hadn't opposed the death penalty – a hanger and a flogger, she wanted that brought back.

2019, Louis Theroux, Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times in Television, Pan Macmillan:

(UK politics, derogatory) A person who is in favor of severe criminal penalties, especially capital punishment or corporal punishment.


Beergate

From beer + -gate; politicians were photographed with beer and takeaway food.

(UK politics, neologism) The political controversy in response to an alleged breach of COVID-19 pandemic legal restrictions at a gathering in a Labour Party office in Durham, England, on 30 April 2021.


Ken and Eddie Show

(UK politics, economics, historical, informal) The minutes of the monthly meetings between Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke and Edward George, Baron George during which interest rates were set, published regularly during the 1990s.


SRA

SRA (countable and uncountable, plural SRAs)

(UK politics) Initialism of special responsibility allowance.


Carriegate

What are we to make of the tawdry saga of what we must now, with grim inevitability, learn to call “Carriegate”? […] the headline that appeared in the first edition of last Saturday’s Times: “Johnson tried to give Carrie top Foreign Office job during affair”.

2022 June 20, Sean O'Grady, “‘Carriegate’ is just another classic Johnson scandal”, in The Independent:

(UK politics, neologism) A British political scandal of 2022 around allegations that prime minister Boris Johnson, during his time as Foreign Secretary, had recommended Carrie Symonds, then his mistress, as a candidate for a high-paying job as chief of staff in the Foreign Office.


Wallpapergate

(UK politics, informal) A 2021 controversy around the refurbishment in 2020 of the flat above 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, amid allegations in the press that an undisclosed loan had been used to help finance it.


Pinchergate

(UK politics, informal) A 2022 controversy around alleged sexual misconduct by politician Chris Pincher, and whether prime minister Boris Johnson was aware of it and failed to take action.


big society

Coined by political adviser Steve Hilton, to contrast with big government.

coin

David Cameron today pledged to create communities with “oomph”, as he launched the Tory vision of a “big society” that would involve a dramatic redistribution of power from “the elite in Whitehall to the man and woman on the street”.

2010 July 19, Nicholas Watt, “David Cameron reveals ‘big society’ vision – and denies it is just cost cutting”, in The Guardian:

Blue Labour thinking, here, converges seamlessly with Cameron's “big society”.

2011 May 21, Ed Rooksby, “Don't underestimate toxic Blue Labour”, in The Guardian:

Not only were charities facing “crippling spending cuts”, but the government had also lost its way without a clear narrative to deliver the big society, he said.

2013 March 5, Peter Hetherington, quoting Stephen Bubb, “Is this the end of Cameron's big society?”, in The Guardian:

At first it sounded quite lovely, didn’t it? The notion of a “big society” – back in those heady days when David Cameron and Nick Clegg stood side by side in the Downing Street garden.

2019 January 28, Michael Segalov, “Forget the ‘big society’. Austerity is to blame for this army of volunteers”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A conservative-liberal policy advocating the strengthening of local government and communities.


Brexitland

2022 Daniel Lambert, quoted in Lisa O'Carroll, "British wine wholesaler ‘leaves Brexitland for good’ over paperwork", The Guardian, 26 July.
In just one week I will finally leave Brexitland for good. Let me know if anyone ever finds those sunlit uplands.

Territory submitted to Brexit rules (either United Kingdom and/or Great Britain after Brexit).


Torydom

(UK politics) The realm or sphere of the Tories.


Izba Lordów

Izba Lordów (nominative singular)
Izby Lordów (genitive singular)
Izbie Lordów (dative singular)
Izbę Lordów (accusative singular)
Izbą Lordów (instrumental singular)
Izbie Lordów (locative singular)
Izbo Lordów (singular vocative)

Coordinate term: Izba Gmin

(government, UK politics) House of Lords


Izba Gmin

Izba Gmin (nominative singular)
Izby Gmin (genitive singular)
Izbie Gmin (dative singular)
Izbę Gmin (accusative singular)
Izbą Gmin (instrumental singular)
Izbie Gmin (locative singular)
Izbo Gmin (singular vocative)

Coordinate term: Izba Lordów

(government, UK politics) House of Commons


Official Monster Raving Loony Party

the Official Monster Raving Loony Party (canonical)

(UK politics) An intentionally bizarre political party established in the United Kingdom in 1983.


Trussian

en-adj

Trussian (comparative more Trussian, superlative most Trussian)

more Trussian (comparative)
most Trussian (superlative)

“It's a very Trussian style of politics, this free-market, American-inspired, pro-deregulation, libertarian style of politics,” says Sherrington, “and she has close relationships with many of these think-tanks.”

2021 January 29, Tristan Kennedy, “Britain’s Trade Advisers Include a Man Who Called Climate Science ‘Absolute Crap’”, in Vice:

Will the UK’s foreign policy become a form of ‘Trussian Roulette’.

2022 July 25, Barry Didcock, “Is Liz Truss the new Maggie or a Lib Dem mole?”, in The Herald:

‘Trussian’ economics has much in common with Johnsonian bluster, writes John Mclaren.

2022 July 28, The Scotsman, page 21 (image):

With that record of revisionist chutzpah it is easy to see why Truss thinks she can wipe the slate clean. Declare Year One of the Trussian Age.

2022 August 3, Rafael Behr, “Johnson’s school of half-truths could spell victory for Truss”, in The Guardian, page 2:

In the present day, it looks likely that Liz Truss will win. This is due to her willingness to tell Tory fairy tales (Trussian fairy tales) and embrace magical thinking on taxes, public spending and economics, all of which the Tory membership, still supporting the Thatcherite mirage, want to believe.

2022 August 3, Gerry Hassan, “Tory Britain is over”, in Scottish Review:

And as the Trussian juggernaut rules the waves, next week is unlikely to be Rishi's Trafalgar, but almost certainly his Waterloo.

2022 August 25, Madeline Grant, “Truss rules the waves in Norwich while Rishi Partridge meets his Waterloo”, in The Telegraph:

These are perfectly consistent with the new Prime Minister’s approach to the world, and she should focus on telling a story of how these will build to a longer-term Trussian approach after the election.

2022 August 31, Rachel Wolf, “Truss’s in tray 3) Rachel Wolf: Levelling Up. There is no time for another new approach. The new Prime Minister must focus on delivery.”, in ConservativeHome:

It is Scotland’s good fortune, even so, that the country will not be an immediate or urgent priority for Trussian attention.

2022 September 4, Alex Massie, “Liz Truss should steer clear of Nicola Sturgeon”, in The Times:

But one does not attend a Meghan Markle speech – her first in Britain since 2020’s Megxit – expecting either profundity or revelation, any more than one would hope for Wildean (or even Trussian) sallies of wit.

2022 September 6, Alexander Larman, “The Harry ‘n’ Meghan circus shows no sign of coming to an end”, in The Spectator:

Yet her lack of polish gives her authenticity. Perhaps we shall just have to get used to her odd, Trussian ways.

2022 September 6, Jan Moir, “Together we can ride out the storm: JAN MOIR watches as the heavens opened before Liz Truss arrived in Downing Street for her big speech. Then, in a moment loaded with cheering symbolism, the skies cleared... and our new Prime Minister addressed the nation”, in Daily Mail:

But at the centre of the Trussian flight-from-reality is her failure to explain how her commitment to lower taxes as the engine of growth[…]

2022 September 7, David Aaronovitch, “Be honest, Liz, and you might earn goodwill”, in The Times:

With what could yet come to be seen as Trussian bluntness, this became apparent in her first answer to him.

2022 September 7, Kit Sandeman, “The populist baton is free - if Labour want to pick it up”, in The Yorkshire Post:

‘It’s that Trussian lack of polish that gives her welcome authenticity’

2022 September 7, Scottish Daily Mail, page 6 (image):

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to Liz Truss (born 1975), British politician and prime minister of the United Kingdom in 2022.


Mayite

In the House of Commons, Mayites are few in number. Beyond the tight circle of her husband Philip and her two indispensable advisers, Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill, no one seems certain about what makes May tick.

2017 February 10, Sebastian Payne, “Who is Theresa May? In pursuit of a very private prime minster”, in Financial Times:

(UK politics) A political supporter of Theresa May (born 1943), British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister from 2016 to 2019.


Mayite

Immediately, Johnson slipped back into the old British policy, announcing that despite furious opposition from the U.S., the U.K. would allow Huawei to play a part in Britain’s 5G rollout. It was, in essence, a continuation of the Mayite policy—which itself was little more than a continuation of the cautious engagement that had been in place for decades.

2022 August 2, Tom McTague, “Why Britain Changed Its China Stance”, in The Atlantic:

(UK politics) Of or relating to the government, policies, or supporters of Theresa May.


Trussite

There are the Trussites, hovering over her Instagram posts in political adoration, and then there are others who consider her a menace who is about to be made Prime Minister in a sinister conspiracy by Brexiteers.

2022 May 11, George Trefgarne, “In defence of Liz Truss’s retro economics”, in The Spectator:

(UK politics, neologism) A political supporter of Liz Truss (born 1975), British Conservative politician and Prime Minister in September–October 2022.


No 11

Coordinate term: No 10

Government sources, however, continued to brief that No 10 and No 11 were considering bringing the date forward.

2022 October 4, “Truss government in chaos amid budget confusion and coup accusations”, in The Guardian:

11 Downing Street
11 Downing Street#English

(UK politics) Synonym of 11 Downing Street.


OBR

Mel Stride, the Conservative chair of the Treasury committee, has called for the OBR forecasts to be published immediately and the government’s plans to be brought forward to the end of October, before the Bank of England’s monetary policy committee meets to consider interest rates.

Office for Budget Responsibility
w:Office for Budget Responsibility

(UK politics) Initialism of Office for Budget Responsibility.


Trussonomics

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Trussonomics.

(UK politics, economics, neologism) The economic policies and theories of former UK prime minister Liz Truss.


ministerial code

en-noun

ministerial code (usually uncountable, plural ministerial codes)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:ministerial code.

(UK politics) A code of conduct for government ministers in the United Kingdom.


Singapore-on-the-Thames

(UK politics, economics) Alternative form of Singapore-on-Thames


Sunakism

This is Sunakism: a belief that it’s suicidal for any government to depend on high borrowing and low interest rates, because those rates could surge at any time.

2020 December 19, Katy Balls, Fraser Nelson, “‘It’s not morally right to keep borrowing at these levels’: Rishi Sunak’s plan to fix the UK economy”, in The Spectator:

But for the time being, it feels as though Johnsonism – with its infrastructure spending and red wall handouts – is winning out over whatever Sunakism might turn out to be.

2021 October 27, Heather Stewart, “Johnsonism wins budget battle but will Sunakism win the war?”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) The political philosophy associated with Rishi Sunak (born 1980), British Conservative politician and Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024.


Sunakite

This is stupid politics from the Sunakites. It is akin to being 4-0 down in a football match in injury time and instead of accepting defeat gracefully going around elbowing opponents in the face and performing leg-breaking tackles.

2022 August 10, Patrick O'Flynn, “Why Rishi Sunak shouldn’t quit”, in The Spectator:

(UK politics, neologism) A political supporter of Rishi Sunak (born 1980), British Conservative politician and Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024.


Sunakite

My view is that Truss will be forced to adopt those Sunakite, overwhelmingly statist policies anyway, because the alternative is mass penury. The first test of her skill will be how she presents the emergency measures as something she, as a conviction politician, believed in all along.

2022 August 21, John Rentoul, “Why Truss could be a successful prime minister”, in Gulf Today:

(UK politics) Of or relating to the government, policies, or supporters of Rishi Sunak.


Brexitish

en-adj

Brexitish (comparative more Brexitish, superlative most Brexitish)

more Brexitish (comparative)
most Brexitish (superlative)

The Brexitish notion that nation states can just withdraw from the rest of the world and wall in their own production is a cultural fantasy as delusional as any who punch “Australia first!”, “America first!”, “Britain first!” statements into the keypad of a Chinese-assembled mobile phone.

2017 May 1, Van Badham, “Worker exploitation: without an international minimum wage, we're all worth 10 bucks”, in The Guardian:

(UK, informal) Resembling or characteristic of Brexit, or the attitudes thought to underlie it.


Brexitism

As one who was an economic migrant, who migrated under the opportunities of the EU prior to Brexitism, I thought he'd be sympathetic.

2018, John Kinsella, Russell West-Pavlov, Temporariness: On the Imperatives of Place, page 239:

However, the work of Buck and Meiners (2017) is being threatened by the continuing obsession with segregative nativism in Western society, which has manifested itself in Trumpism and Brexitism (Rowe et al. 2018).

2019, Alfdaniels Mabingo, “Teaching African Dances as Civic Engagement: Pedagogic Perspectives of Teachers of African Dances in North America, Europe, New Zealand, and Asia”, in Karen Schupp, editor, Dance Education and Responsible Citizenship: Promoting Civic Engagement Through Effective Dance Pedagogies, page 25:

At some stage, Brexitism will have to face this question.

2021, Oscar Mazzoleni, “Regionalism and Euroscepticism: The case of Ticino”, in Oscar Mazzoleni, Paolo Dardanelli, editors, Switzerland-EU Relations: Lessons for the UK After Brexit?:

The political and economic philosophies associated with Brexit.


committee rooms

en-noun

committee rooms pl (normally plural, singular committee room)

Hats were thrown in the air at the west end committee rooms when when victory seemed certain and the crowds surged up and down the stairs in the west end committee rooms to offer congratulations to the victorious candidate.

a. 1946, The Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers Journal, International Brotherhood of Pulp, Sulphite and Paper Mill Workers:

One of the factors in the success of the party in Verdun in polling a sizable vote was the role played by these voluntary workers in canvassing, distributing literature, and staffing committee rooms.

1946, Herbert F. Quinn, The Quebec Provincial Election of 1944: An Analysis of the Role of the Election in the Democratic Process (master’s thesis), Montreal: McGill University, →OCLC, retrieved 2022-12-07, page 44:

With the party candidate in Winnipeg North, he shared a cramped committee room in the northern district, across the street from the Conservative auxiliary office.[…]

1964, T. Peterson, I. Avakumovic, “A Return to the Status Quo: The Election in Winnipeg North Centre”, in John Meisel, editor, Papers on the 1962 Election: Fifteen Papers on the Canadian General Election of 1962, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, →ISBN, →JSTOR, pages 94–95, 100:

COMMITTEE ROOMS:
1915 Osler Street

1975, NDP... Keeping Saskatchewan Alive, Regina, Saskatchewan: Saskatchewan NDP; republished Quebec City, Quebec: Centre for Public Policy Analysis, c. 2006, retrieved 2022-12-06, page 17:

When I came to Moosomin 30 years ago, the Liberals, NDP and Conservatives all had active local constituencies, all had well known supporters, all would set up committee rooms during the election, get their lawn signs out and work for their candidate.

2019 October 7, Kevin Weedmark, “Canadian Politics Is No Longer Right Versus Left, It’s Urban Versus Rural”, in The World-Spectator, Moosomin, Saskatchewan, retrieved 2022-12-06:

(Canada, UK, dated) One or more election campaign offices.


e-envoy

Recommendation 14.2 of this report stated 'the Government should appoint an “e-envoy” with a wider remit than originally proposed.

2004, Stephen Battersby, W. H. Bassett, Clay's Handbook of Environmental Health, page 187:

(UK politics, Internet, historical) The person in charge of the Office of the e-Envoy, which existed from 1999 to 2004 with the purpose of putting all government departments online.


FMQs

Coordinate term: PMQs

First Minister's Questions
w:First Minister's Questions

(UK politics) Initialism of First Minister's Questions.


Bregret

Bregret (countable and uncountable, plural Bregrets)

The anxiety – dubbed “Bregret” – emerged as the value of the pound tumbled and markets crashed, while [some felt] betrayed by Nigel Farage’s admission that a Vote Leave poster pledging to spend millions of pounds supposedly given to the EU on the NHS was a “mistake”.

2016 June 25, Lizzie Dearden, “Anger over 'Bregret' as Leave voters say they thought UK would stay in EU”, in The Independent:

Yet polling shows no ‘Bregret’ – a YouGov survey earlier this week showed 52% of voters think leaving was right and 48% wrong, mirroring the referendum result.

2016 August 10, Matthew Holehouse, “Is the ignorant Leave voter just a comforting myth?”, in The Telegraph:

Brexit may be in the history books, but “Bregret,” as the British newspapers have called it, is back in the air.

2022 November 22, Mark Landler, “Buffeted by Economic Woes, U.K. Starts to Look at Brexit With ‘Bregret’”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

A creeping sense of Bregret is taking hold in Britain. A majority of Brits now say that the vote for Britain leaving the EU was a mistake.

2022 December 23, Matthew Goodwin, “Brexit regrets? Britain has a few”, in The Spectator:

Three years on from Brexit, all UK voters are left with is a bitter taste of Bregret [title]

2023 January 31, Polly Toynbee, “Three years on from Brexit, all UK voters are left with is a bitter taste of Bregret”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(neologism) Regret about Brexit (or voting in favour of Brexit).


Govian

en-adj

Govian (comparative more Govian, superlative most Govian)

more Govian (comparative)
most Govian (superlative)

Polly Toynbee is spot on in her excoriation of Govian Gradgrindery. The inevitable marginalisation of the supposedly "soft" arts subjects in the state sector is a scandal.

2013 November 7, Ian Barge, “Children must learn to question, not simply obey”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) Relating to British politician Michael Gove (1967–).


Scexit

Blend of Scotland + exit, by analogy with Brexit.

As Brexit becomes a settled fact of life, it will still be a cause of remainer grievance. But it could also fuel reluctance to go through the same trauma all over again as “Scexit”. […] The message that Scexit would be even worse than Brexit can still be delivered, just not by Johnson himself.

2021 February 9, Rafael Behr, “Sturgeon and Johnson have made Scottish independence seem inevitable. It isn't”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) The (possible) act of Scotland becoming independent from the United Kingdom.


order paper

(Commonwealth) the daily agenda of a Westminster system legislature


Corporation

In one respect at least the Corporation acts as the superior body: it imposes on the House of Commons a figure called the remembrancer: an official lobbyist who sits behind the Speaker's chair and ensures that, whatever our elected representatives might think, the City's rights and privileges are protected.

2011 October 31, George Monbiot, “The medieval, unaccountable Corporation of London is ripe for protest”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

City of London Corporation
City of London Corporation#English

(UK politics) Ellipsis of City of London Corporation.


Sunakian

Sunakian (comparative more Sunakian, superlative most Sunakian)

more Sunakian (comparative)
most Sunakian (superlative)

If Sunak is highly regarded by his colleagues, he does not have a dedicated group of supporters in Parliament: there is no Sunakian equivalent of the Portillistas, the Brownites, or the Friends of Dave.

2020, Michael Ashcroft, Going for Broke: The Rise of Rishi Sunak, London: Biteback Publishing, →ISBN, page unknown:

With the markets duly placated by Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement, some senior Tories even began to worry that Sunakian stability and fiscal orthodoxy would be too boring a platform on which to face Labour at the next election.

2022 December 7, “The Guardian view on Sunak and the strikes: misreading the mood of the nation”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to Rishi Sunak (born 1980), British Conservative politician and Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024.


Portillista

Yet despite that pedigree, he describes himself as "essentially a Portillista" – liberal on social affairs, centre-right on economics.

2001 October 3, Matthew Tempest, “New Labour's power-dressed future”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) A political supporter of Michael Portillo (born 1953), British journalist, broadcaster, and former Conservative politician.


Cobra

Boris Johnson was accused on Saturday of being “missing in action” after failing to attend a Cobra meeting to discuss the national heatwave emergency following predictions that thousands could die in the coming days.

2022 July 16, Mark Townsend, James Tapper, “Johnson skips emergency Cobra meeting as experts warn thousands may die in UK heatwave”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

In the UK, a Cobra security meeting was called and in Estonia, which neighbours Russia, the prime minister, Kaja Kallas, said there was strengthened security on the border.

2023 June 24, Pjotr Sauer, Andrew Roth, “Putin accuses Wagner chief of treason and vows to ‘neutralise’ uprising”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of COBRA


Orkxit

Blend of Orkney + exit. Modelled after Brexit, Grexit, Quexit, etc.

You've heard of Brexit, maybe even Scexit - now the UK might have to prepare for Orkxit. ¶ The Orkney Islands, which lie 20 miles north of the Scottish mainland, have voted to explore "alternative governance" which could include leaving the UK and returning to its Scandic roots with Norway.

2023 July 4, Gina Davidson, “Orkney votes to explore ways to leave UK”, in LBC:

This matters because after the tragicomedies of Brexit and Grexit, the world has been enjoying the spectacle of “Orkxit”. This month it was suggested that the Orkney Islands might like to secede from Britain and become a self-governing territory of Norway.

2023 July 13, “Why the Orkney Islands are considering joining Norway”, in The Economist:

There’s a move in the islands to secede from Britain and join Norway or even Denmark — an Orkxit to follow Brexit.

2023 July 21, “Dinner Party Intel: Gray Lady blows the final whistle”, in Financial Mail:

(UK politics, neologism) The potential transfer of the Orkney Islands from the United Kingdom and Scotland to Norway, reversing its annexation by Scotland in 1472.


securonomics

From secure + -o- + -nomics, introduced in 2023 by British politician Rachel Reeves.

She [Rachel Reeves] told the FT her ‘securonomics’ had to be based on ‘the rock of fiscal responsibility’ and that Britain was at risk of being ‘sidelined’ unless it accepted that the rules of the global economy had changed.

2023 May 24, “Reeves makes case for UK version of ‘Bidenomics’”, in Financial Times, page 1:

It’s to be funded by taxing private schools, although whether Reeves’s “securonomics” has the capacity to respond to what teachers want more broadly, is another matter.

2023 July 7-13, Andrew Marr, “Politics: In an era of political fatalism, Labour must use its education plan to inspire hope”, in New Statesman, volume 152, page 14:

Done without careful planning, it could increase reliance on imported virgin steel and recycled scrap metal. It will also test the government’s commitment to “securonomics” which involves safeguarding the supply of key goods and services to the UK.

2024 September 26, “Why £500m for Port Talbot is not enough to secure steel industry”, in Western Mail, Cardiff, page 23:

supply-side economics
supply-side economics

(UK politics, economics) A modern form of supply-side economics inspired by US president Joe Biden's economic policy, particularly his Inflation Reduction Act, and based on the belief that globalisation has failed to achieve its stated aims.


Young Englander

en-noun

Young Englander (plural Young Englanders)

In a related but more obviously nostalgic way the Young Englanders looked back to an earlier England: Disraeli lamented in his 1845 novel Sybil, or the Two Nations, that “there is no community in England” and proposed the medievalising of the aristocracy as a solution.

2015, David Matthews, Medievalism: A Critical History, →ISBN, page 56:

(historical, UK politics) A member of Young England, a group of neofeudalist 19th-century Tories.


corn law

(historical, UK politics) One of the tariffs and protectionist regulations on imported grain and other foodstuffs enforced in the United Kingdom from 1815 until their abolition in 1846.


אינלאַנד־מיניסטעריום

head

אינלאַנד־מיניסטעריום

אינלאַנד־מיניסטעריום • (inland-ministeryum) m

yi-noun

אינלאַנד־מיניסטעריום

en-אינלאַנד־מיניסטעריום-yi-noun-rqqDeJaF


One Nation

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of one nation


DAERA

[…]DAERA has a range of significant programmes under way to improve water quality … [and]^([sic]) the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) also undertakes extensive monitoring and inspection programmes as well as investigating all reported pollution incidents.

2023 August 23, Tommy Greene, “Lough Neagh ‘dying in plain sight’ due to vast algal blooms”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

w:Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

(Northern Ireland) Initialism of Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.


Sturgeonite

Forbes and her allies have already set up a backbench group in the Scottish Parliament to develop alternative policies; Yousaf and the Sturgeonites remain committed to her (superficially) progressive vision of the party and its controversial alliance with the Scottish Greens.

2023 October 6, Henry Hill, “Time to put devolution out of its misery”, in The Telegraph:

(UK politics) A political supporter of Nicola Sturgeon (born 1980), Scottish politician who served as First Minister from 2014 to 2023.


one nationer

A Conservative party source said: “This would tear the party apart. Several cabinet ministers and the one nationers would not stand for it – the prime minister wouldn’t even get it through the Commons. Never mind that this wouldn’t placate the head-bangers on the right either.”

2023 November 19, Rajeev Syal, “Sunak could block Human Rights Act to force through Rwanda asylum plan”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

one-nation conservative
one-nation conservative#English

(UK politics) Synonym of one-nation conservative


one nation

The next prime minister must redefine Brexit as a One Nation project. If they do not, the door will be wide open for Britain’s first-ever Marxist government and a likely decade of decline.

2019 May 18, George Freeman, Nicky Morgan, Bim Afolami, Chloe Smith, Nicholas Soames, “One Nation conservatism can make a success of Brexit”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

one-nation conservatism
one-nation conservatism#English

(UK politics) Ellipsis of one-nation conservatism.


CRG

Nonetheless, before Christmas he still had to rely on Labour votes to pass new coronavirus restrictions amid a 101-MP rebellion instigated by the Covid Recovery Group (CRG), which is sceptical about new pandemic rules.

2022 January 8, Peter Walker, “ERG out, CRG in: the Tory factions Boris Johnson is struggling to appease”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

COVID Recovery Group
w:COVID Recovery Group

(UK politics) Initialism of COVID Recovery Group.


ბრექსიტი

ka-proper noun

ბრექსიტი • (breksiṭi)


ხისტი ბრექსიტი

ხისტი ბრექსიტი • (xisṭi breksiṭi)


რბილი ბრექსიტი

რბილი ბრექსიტი • (rbili breksiṭi)


SETF

Social Exclusion Task Force
w:Social Exclusion Task Force

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of Social Exclusion Task Force.


DSIT

w:Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

(UK politics) Initialism of Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.


Borisism

Boris Johnson, in typical faux-naif Borisism, said once of his leadership ambitions that he might "pick up the ball if it came loose from the back of the scrum".

2014 August 6, Patrick Wintour, “Boris Johnson positions himself perfectly for Tory leadership bid”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

The day after his arrival in Birmingham, in the conference hall, he crammed his speech with Borisisms.

2019, Harry Mount, The Wit and Wisdom of Boris Johnson, Bloomsbury, →ISBN:

Sharp says there was no such conflict, echoed by Johnson himself, who minted a Borisism specially for the occasion: “I can tell you that for 100% ding-dang sure.”

2023 January 27, Jonathan Freedland, “The stench coming from this government? It’s the corrupt mixture of private wealth and public squalor”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) A turn of phrase employed by British politician Boris Johnson.