AM

en-noun

AM (countable and uncountable, plural AMs)

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of Assembly Member. (A title similar to MP, placed after the name of a Member of the Welsh National Assembly.)


Cameroon

Alteration of Cameron, influenced by -oon.

He fears that in downplaying traditional Conservative causes, in changing the party to be more in tune with modern Britain, the Cameroons have in effect accepted that they won't change the country much in office.

2007 March 21, Andy Beckett, “The Cameroons”, in The Guardian:

Today, I spy a coalition outrider: Nick Boles, MP for Grantham, founder of Policy Exchange and the archetypal Cameroon ultra-modernizer. I don’t think Boles even owned a tie until he was elected to the House of Commons. That’s how much of a Cameroon the man is.

2010 September 13, Iain Martin, “Nick Boles: The Coalition’s Cameroon Outrider”, in Wall Street Journal:

Maude was a moderniser before modernity dawned in the Tory ranks, a Cameroon before David Cameron.

2012 March 30, James Chapman, “Gorgeous George and why Ed Miliband must now pray Ken Livingstone wins London”, in Daily Mail:

Mr Cameron won significantly smaller vote shares than either Theresa May or Boris Johnson. There are not many Cameroons in Britain. Outside some newspaper op-ed pages, there never were.

2023 November 13, Bagehot, “What David Cameron's return says about British politics”, in Economist:

(UK politics) A Conservative Party member with green or social liberal leanings, supporting the policies of David Cameron.


blue

en-adj

blue (comparative bluer or more blue, superlative bluest or most blue)

bluer (comparative)
more blue (comparative)
bluest (superlative)
most blue (superlative)

conservative

antonym(s) of “pertaining to the US Democratic Party”

red

antonym(s) of “dominated by higher-frequency electromagnetic radiation”

antiblue

antonym(s) of “having blue as its colour charge”

Tok Pisin: blu

→ Fiji Hindi: bulu

→ Shona: bhuluu

→ Somali: buluug

→ Swahili: bluu, buluu

→ Tooro: bururu

From Middle English blewe, from Anglo-Norman blew (“blue”), from Middle French bleu, from Old French blöe, bleve, blef (“blue”), from Frankish *blāu (“blue”) (perhaps through a Late Latin blāvus, blāvius (“blue”) attested from Isidore of Seville), from Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, dark blue”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰlēw- (“yellow, blond, grey”). Cognate with dialectal English blow (“blue”), Scots blue, blew (“blue”), North Frisian bla, blö (“blue”), Saterland Frisian blau (“blue”), Dutch blauw (“blue”), German blau (“blue”), Danish, Norwegian and Swedish blå (“blue”), Icelandic blár (“blue”), Latin flāvus (“yellow”), Middle Irish blá (“yellow”). Doublet of blow.
Possibly related also to English blee (“colour”), from Old English blēo (“colour”); but direct derivatives of Proto-Germanic *blēwaz (“blue, dark blue”) in Old English include: Old English blāw and blēo (“blue”), Old English blǣwen (“bluish, light-blue”), blǣhǣwen (“blue-coloured, bluish, violet or purple colour”, literally “blue-hued”). There seems to be a parallel connection in Germanic between words for blue and colour, dually exemplified by Proto-West Germanic *blīu (“colour, blee”) and *blāu (“blue”); and Proto-Germanic *hiwją (“colour, hue”) and *hēwijaz (“blue, purple”).
The sense "obscene, pornographic" is apparently from the colour; various theories exist as to how it arose, including that it is from the colour of the envelopes used to contain missives of the censors and managers to vaudevillian performers on objectionable material from their acts that needed to be excised.

belau

blue-coloured — see also dark blue, light blue

(politics) Supportive of, run by (a member of), pertaining to, or dominated by a political party represented by the colour blue.

(UK politics) Supportive of or related to the Conservative Party.


blue

en-noun

blue (countable and uncountable, plural blues)

He is a true blue.

(UK politics) A member or supporter of the Conservative Party.


red

red (countable and uncountable, plural reds)

From Middle English red, from Old English rēad, from Proto-West Germanic *raud, from Proto-Germanic *raudaz from Proto-Indo-European *h₁rowdʰós, from the root *h₁rewdʰ-.
Cognates
See also West Frisian read, Low German root, rod, Dutch rood, German rot, Danish and Norwegian Bokmål rød, Norwegian Nynorsk raud; also Welsh rhudd, Latin ruber, rufus, Tocharian A rtär, Tocharian B ratre, Ancient Greek ἐρυθρός (eruthrós), Albanian pruth (“redhead”), Russian ру́дый (rúdyj) ("red", "redhaired"). Czech rudý, Lithuanian raúdas, Finnish rauta, Estonian raud, Serbo-Croatian riđ ("reddish", "red"), Avestan 𐬭𐬀𐬊𐬌𐬛𐬌𐬙𐬀 (raoidita), Sanskrit रुधिर (rudhirá, “red, bloody”).

sekobarbitaali

slang: secobarbital — see also secobarbital

(Ireland, UK, beverages, informal) Red lemonade


yellow

en-adj

yellow (comparative yellower or more yellow, superlative yellowest or most yellow)

yellower (comparative)
more yellow (comparative)
yellowest (superlative)
most yellow (superlative)

From Middle English yelwe, yelou, from Old English ġeolwe, oblique form of Old English ġeolu, from Proto-West Germanic *gelu, from Proto-Germanic *gelwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃wos, from *ǵʰelh₃- (“gleam, yellow”).
Compare Welsh gwelw (“pale”), Latin helvus (“dull yellow”), Irish geal (“white, bright”), Italian giallo (“yellow”) Lithuanian žalias (“green”), Ancient Greek χλωρός (khlōrós, “light green”), Persian زرد (zard, “yellow”), Sanskrit हरि (hari, “greenish-yellow”), Russian жёлтый (žóltyj, “yellow”), Russian зелёный (zeljónyj, “green”). Cognate with German gelb (“yellow”), Dutch geel (“yellow”).
The verb is from Old English ġeolwian, from the adjective.

cog

yellow constituencies

2012 March 2, Andrew Grice, “Yellow rebels take on Clegg over NHS 'betrayal'”, in The Independent:

(UK politics) Related to the Liberal Democrats.


liberal

The adjective is from Old French liberal, from Latin līberālis (“befitting a freeman”), from līber (“free”); it is attested since the 14th century. The noun is first attested in the 1800s.

vasemmistolainen

someone left-wing — see also progressive, left-winger

(UK politics) One who favors individual voting rights, human and civil rights, and laissez-faire markets (also called "classical liberal"; compare libertarian).

liberaali

Britain: one who favors individual voting rights, human and civil rights and laissez-faire markets


wet

en-noun

wet (countable and uncountable, plural wets)

From Middle English wet (“wet, moistened”), wett, wette, past participle of Middle English weten (“to wet”), from Old English wǣtan (“to wet, moisten, water”), from Proto-Germanic *wētijaną (“to wet, make wet”), from Proto-Indo-European *wed- (“water, wet”) (also the source of water).
Cognate with Scots weit, wete (“to wet”), Saterland Frisian wäitje (“to wet; drench”), Icelandic væta (“to wet”). Compare also Middle English weet (“wet”), from Old English wǣt (“wet, moist, rainy”), from Proto-West Germanic *wāt, from Proto-Germanic *wētaz (“wet, moist”), related to Scots weit, weet, wat (“wet”), North Frisian wiat, weet, wäit (“wet”), Saterland Frisian wäit (“wet”), West Frisian wiet (“wet”), Middle Dutch wet (“wet, damp, watery”), Swedish and Norwegian våt (“wet”), Danish våd (“wet”), Faroese vátur (“wet”), Icelandic votur (“wet”).

cog

(British, UK politics, derogatory) A moderate Conservative; especially, one who opposed the hard-line policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.


dry

[d̠͡ɹ̠˔ʷaɪ̯]

Adjective and noun from Middle English drye, dryge, drüȝe, from Old English drȳġe (“dry; parched, withered”), from Proto-West Germanic *drūgī, *draugī, from Proto-Germanic *drūgiz, *draugiz (“dry, hard”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerǵʰ- (“to strengthen; become hard”), from *dʰer- (“to hold, support”). The verb derives from Middle English drien, from Old English drȳġan (“to dry”), from Proto-West Germanic *drūgijan, from Proto-Germanic *drūgiz (“hard, desiccated, dry”), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰerǵʰ- (“strong, hard, solid”).
cognates and related terms
 Cognate with Scots dry, drey (“dry”), North Frisian drüg, driig, Saterland Frisian druuch (“dry”), West Frisian droech (“dry”), Dutch droog (“dry”), Low German dröög (“dry”), German dröge (“dull”), Icelandic draugur (“a dry log”). Related also to German trocken (“dry”), West Frisian drege (“long-lasting”), Danish drøj (“tough”), Swedish dryg (“lasting, hard”), Icelandic drjúgur (“ample, long”), Latin firmus (“strong, firm, stable, durable”). See also drought, drain, dree.

cog

(British, UK politics) A radical or hard-line Conservative; especially, one who supported the policies of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s.


whip

→ Irish: fuip

⇒ Jamaican Creole: wip

From Middle English whippen, wippen (“to flap violently”), from Middle Dutch wippen (“to swing, leap, dance, oscillate”) and Middle Low German wippen (“to move quickly”), from Proto-Germanic *wipjaną (“to move back and forth”). Some similarity to Sanskrit root वेप् (vep, “shake, flourish”), Latin vibrō (“I shake”). (See Swedish vippa and Danish vippe (“to shake”)).
The unetymological wh- is probably expressive of the sound of a whip; compare the same development in whisk and onomatopoeias such as whack and whoosh.
The political senses are from whipper-in (“huntsman who keeps the hounds from wandering”), 18th century hunting terminology.

der

(UK politics, with definite article) A document distributed weekly to MPs by party whips informing them of upcoming votes in parliament.

to withdraw the whip

As a result, he was stripped of the whip on Tuesday, preventing him from voting in the fourth ballot to narrow down candidates to be the next party leader.

2022 July 20, Heather Stewart, “Tobias Ellwood temporarily given back Tory whip to vote in leadership contest”, in The Guardian:

In the letter, Hancock said he had spoken to the Conservatives’ chief whip, Simon Hart, last week, and been told the whip would be restored in time, “but that is now not necessary” – meaning he will sit as an independent until the next election.

2022 December 7, Peter Walker, “Row grows over Matt Hancock’s announcement he is quitting as MP”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics, by extension) The regular status of an MP within a parliamentary party, which can be revoked by the party as a disciplinary measure.


PC

(UK politics) Initialism of Plaid Cymru.


PPS

Shah has since apologised, saying: “I deeply regret the hurt I have caused.” It emerged later that she had stepped down as PPS to McDonnell.

2016 April 26, Nazia Parveen, “Bradford MP Naz Shah quits as McDonnell's PPS after antisemitic posts”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Initialism of parliamentary private secretary.


ping pong

en-noun

ping pong (countable and uncountable, plural ping pongs)

→ Chinese: 乒乓球 (pīngpāngqiú)

→ Greek: πινγκ πονγκ (pingk pongk)

→ Italian: ping pong

→ Japanese: ピンポン (pin pon)

→ Korean: 핑퐁 (pingpong)

→ Portuguese: pingue-pongue

→ Russian: пинг-понг (ping-pong)

→ Spanish: ping pong

Onomatopoeic. The name “ping-pong” was in wide use before British manufacturer J. Jaques & Son Ltd trademarked it in 1901. Jaques sold the rights to the “ping-pong” name in the United States to Parker Brothers. Registered in the United States in 1930, Ping-Pong (with dash) is still a registered wordmark of Parker Brothers, Inc. Contrary to a common misconception, the word does not originate from Chinese 乒乓 (pīngpāng), though there are possibilities that the coiners encountered Chinese themselves.

(UK politics) The exchange of proposed amendments between the two Houses of Parliament, particularly at the end of a session when compromises have to be made to complete the legislative process within the limited time available.


Thatcherism

From Thatcher + -ism. Popularized by Jamaican-born British sociologist and cultural theorist Stuart Hall in an article in Marxism Today, see quotations.

coin

Thus “Thatcherism” is—give or take one or two elements—the corresponding political bedfellow of a period of capitalist recession: the significant differences between this and other variants of Tory “philosophy” being conceived as without any specific pertinent political or ideological effects.

1979 January, Stuart Hall, “The Great Moving Right Show”, in Marxism Today, page 14:

(UK politics) The political ideology attributed to the governments of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990), characterised by, among other things, a free market economy, privatisation, low taxation, austerity and opposition to unionisation.

撒切爾主義 /撒切尔主义

political ideology of Thatcher's governments


Thatcherite

en-adj

Thatcherite (comparative more Thatcherite, superlative most Thatcherite)

more Thatcherite (comparative)
most Thatcherite (superlative)

/ˈθæt͡ʃəɹaɪt/

From Thatcher + -ite, named after British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013).

named-after

a Thatcherite policy

Morgan, by his own description represented the new spirit of Thatcherite enterprise.

(UK politics) Of or relating to Thatcherism.

He has a Thatcherite outlook on life.


Thatcherite

/ˈθæt͡ʃəɹaɪt/

(UK politics) An advocate of Thatcherism.


Thatcher's children

She has not begun to stem the tide of British ugliness—the yobbish teenagers shivering in their torn gear; the shoddy streets littered with fast-food packaging; the drunks urinating on London's tube platforms; the drug culture. It is facile to call those concerned “Thatcher's children”: she is not responsible for their actions.

London's financial district, like New York's, had its “big bang,” after which, as though from dragon's teeth, Yuppies sprang up, armed with Porsches and mobile telephones. They included, inevitably, some unattractive specimens, and much of their wealth has proved evanescent. To call them “Thatcher's children” is both unfair and unhistorical. Just the same corner-cutting, money-obsessed types can be found in the novels of Trollope and Galsworthy. At the other end of the scale are the workers in moribund industries, the unmarried mothers, and the feckless young, all those who have come to expect more from the welfare state than the welfare state could ever provide: They too are called “Thatcher's children”: but their problems would have existed whatever government was in power.

1990, Anthony Lejeune, “Class”, in National Review, volume 42, number 21, pages 81–84:

Negus (2002), for example, characterizes intermediaries in the music industry in London as “public schoolboys”; in Manchester they have been seen as “Thatcher's children,” the unemployed and disaffected.

2005, Justin O'Connor, “Cities, Culture and ‘Transitional Economies’: Developing Cultural Industries in St. Petersburg”, in John Hartley, editor, Creative Industries, Wiley-Blackwell, page 255:

The social group in Britain that came to be known as ‘Thatcher's children’ (benefiting from the right-wing monetarist policies of Margaret Thatcher's government) were also called ‘yuppies’ (young, upwardly-mobile professionals, especially those working in money markets and the Stock Exchange). They often originated in the south-east of England and their profit motives were legitimised by government policy in favour of free market economics.

2007, Nikolas Coupland, Style: Language Variation and Identity, Cambridge University Press, page 96:

Non-unionism was now the norm across swathes of the private sector so that only an estimated 16% of employees were organised by trade unions by 2006. Increasingly younger workers aged between sixteen and twenty-four – known as Thatcher's children – saw little point in being trade union members.

2007, Anthony Seldon, Blair's Britain, 1997–2007, Cambridge University Press, page 228:

People who grew up or were born in the United Kingdom during the premiership of Margaret Thatcher (1979–1990) and who adopted the ideology of Thatcherism.


PDD

People Demand Democracy
w:People Demand Democracy

(UK politics) Initialism of People Demand Democracy.


UKIP

UK Independence Party
UK Independence Party#English


UK Independence Party

A Euro-sceptic political party in the United Kingdom.


coupon

From French coupon, from couper (“to cut”).

(UK politics, historical) The letter sent to parliamentary candidates at the 1918 general election, endorsing them as official representatives of the coalition government.


Tigger

From the initials of The Independent Group + -er.

Nor is there any sign that Corbyn is at present willing to make any overtures to the eight Tiggers and those who may be contemplating joining them.

2019 February 25, John Crace, “The Independent Group may have secured another Tory government. That's not an accident”, in British GQ:

For one Tigger in particular, Chuka Umunna, 2019 was quite a rollercoaster. Over the course of the year, he was an MP for Labour, an MP for The Independent Group, an MP for the Lib Dems, and then an MP for no one.

2020 January 31, Michael Deacon, “The 20 funniest moments of Brexit”, in The Telegraph:

In fact, Joan Ryan MP (the first Labour MP to jump ship to the Tiggers/Change UK) said, after I'd confessed to her about the dog shampoo, ‘Well, I think your coat looks very nice.’

2020 March 19, Rachel Johnson, Rake's Progress: My Political Midlife Crisis, →ISBN:

(informal, UK politics, historical) A member of The Independent Group for Change, a pro-European British political party that existed in 2019.


LC

en-noun

LC (countable and uncountable, plural LCs)

The lord chancellorship certainly needed reform and sadly Lord Irvine resisted taking the sensible steps of creating an independent judicial appointments commission and ending the nonsense of the LC having the right, should he choose, of sitting himself as a judge on cases.

2016 July 27, Helena Kennedy QC, “Letters: Charlie Falconer to blame for lord chancellor folly”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Initialism of lord chancellor.


Maggie

(informal) Margaret Thatcher, former British prime minister.


Tory

From Irish tóraí (“pursuer”), from tóir (“pursuit”). The first recorded use in English is from a 1646 letter by James Butler ("Earl of Ormond") to a Colonel O' Brien, describing bandits and thieves on main roadways.

(UK politics) A member or supporter of the Conservative Party, which evolved from Royalist politicians; historically associated with upholding the rights of the monarchy and the privileges of the established Church.

консерватор

a member or supporter of the Conservative Party (UK, Canada)


Tory

(UK politics) Of or belonging to the Tory Party or the Conservative Party.


treat

en-verb

treat (third-person singular simple present treats, present participle treating, simple past and past participle treated or (Northern England, Bristol, colloquial) tret)

treats (present singular third-person)
treating (participle present)
treated (participle past)
treated (past)
tret (Northern-England colloquial participle past)
tret (Northern-England colloquial past)
treat (infinitive)

From Middle English treten, from Anglo-Norman treter, Old French tretier, traiter, from Latin tractāre (“to pull", "to manage”), from the past participle stem of trahere (“to draw", "to pull”).

(UK politics, law) To commit the offence of providing food, drink, entertainment or provision to corruptly influence a voter.


SF

(Ireland, UK politics) Initialism of Sinn Féin; an Irish political party.


BNP

British National Party
w:British National Party

(UK politics) Initialism of British National Party.


BNP

David Cameron kallade BNP:s framgång för ”avskyvärd”.

2009 June 8, “Katastrof för Labour [Disaster for Labour]”, in SVT Nyheter:

David Cameron called the BNP's success "abhorrent".


GC

General Committee
w:Constituency Labour Party

(UK politics) Initialism of General Committee: the general management committee of a constituency party of the British Labour Party.


SDP

We believed that the Trots represented a mad, extreme form of Labour that was never going to do anything for anybody, yet we felt strongly that nothing would be achieved by jumping ship and defecting to the SDP.

2008, Cherie Blair, Speaking for Myself: My Life from Liverpool to Downing Street:

Social Democratic Party
w:Social Democratic Party (UK)

(UK politics, historical, 1981–1988) Initialism of Social Democratic Party, a centre-left political party in the United Kingdom.


Mebyon Kernow

From Cornish, meaning "Sons of Cornwall".

A left-of-centre political party that campaigns for greater self-government for Cornwall.


outer

inner

antonym(s) of “one who supports leaving the EU”

The 51.4 per cent to 48.6 per cent victory of the "outers" broke the back of the Labour government.

2013 January 25, Jon Cruddas, “Au Revoir, Europe: What If Britain Left the EU? by David Charter”, in The Independent:

2015 May 7, Guy Faulconbridge, “Britain's EU "outers" see opportunity in wake of Greece's "No"”, in Reuters, archived from the original on 2015-12-22:

Meanwhile, outers are disporting themselves on TV in luminous green ties, hand-woven by first years at the Dronefield Academy for the Sartorially Challenged.

2016 February 16, Robert Shrimsley, “Gimme a Brexit break”, in Financial Times:

(UK politics) One who supports leaving the European Union.


CP

en-noun

CP (countable and uncountable, plural CPs)

(UK politics, since 2019) Initialism of command paper.


hat trick

From hat + trick (“element of a magician’s or variety entertainer’s act; entertaining and difficult physical action”, noun). Sense 2 (“achievement of a bowler taking three wickets in three consecutive balls”)—the original sporting sense—refers to the commemorative hat formerly given as a prize to the bowler by his club.

هاتريك

three achievements in a single game, competition, season, etc.

שלושער m (shloshá'ar, literally “three-gate or goal”)

གསུམ་སྦྲགས (gsum sbrags, literally “pack-of-three”)

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament

(UK politics, historical, rare) A means of securing a seat in the House of Commons by a Member of Parliament placing their hat upon it during an absence.


inner

outer

antonym(s) of “One who supports remaining in the EU”

From Middle English inner, ynner, ynnere, from Old English innera, comparative of inne (“within”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₁en.

(UK politics) One who supports remaining in the European Union.


purdah

en-noun

purdah (countable and uncountable, plural purdahs)

Borrowed from Hindustani پردہ / पर्दा (pardā), and its etymon Classical Persian پرده (pardah, “curtain; screen; (archaic) veil”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂- (“flat”).

der

Despite Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris's reassurance that "the White Paper is coming" it was further delayed by the period of purdah that preceded local elections held on May 6.

2021 June 2, “Network News: ‘Root and Branch’ Review Three Years in the Making”, in Rail, number 932, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire: Bauer Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 10:

(countable, UK politics) The period between the announcement of an election or referendum and its conclusion, during which civil servants refrain from making policy announcements or taking actions that could be seen as advantageous to certain candidates in the election.


backbench

His spacious quarters indicate his transition from backbench upstart to established member of the governing team.

There was no separate back-bench organization ; indeed there were no back-bench caucuses in any Nigerian Legislative House, and any attempt to create one would probably have been regarded by the leadership concerned as a subversive move.

1963, Richard L. Sklar, Nigerian Political Parties: Power in an Emergent African Nation, published 2004, page 400:

Both Thatcher's and Major's PPSs developed the role of trying to see that those members considered loyal to the leadership won the main positions on backbench party committees.

1995, R. L. Borthwick, Churchill to Major: The British Prime Ministership Since 1945, page 153:

In fall 1984, Brian Mulroney led a cabinet with far more political experience than the Conservative backbench.

1997, David Campbell Docherty, Mr. Smith Goes to Ottawa: Life in the House of Commons:

2009, John Coakley, Michael Gallagher, Politics in the Republic of Ireland, page 301,
In situations of low ministerial turnover and increased professionalisation of politics, with most TDs regarding politics as a career, Taoisigh could find that impatience on the backbenches leads to calls for leadership turnover to effect promotions.

A bench at the back of a room or seating area.

(politics, UK, New Zealand, often attributive) In a house of legislature following the model of the Westminster system (such as the UK House of Commons), any bench behind either of the front benches and occupied by rank-and-file members.


House of Commons

“House”, in this term, means a deliberative assembly, while “the Commons” stands for “the common people”, as opposed to nobility.

مَجْلِس عُمُوم

lower house in UK or Canadian parliament

When the legislation was debated by the House of Commons, Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner said it was "riddled with holes", while former Conservative Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was "badly written".

2024 March 20, Conrad Landin, “"Farcical" Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act isn't working”, in RAIL, number 1005, page 25:

(UK politics) The lower house of the British Parliament.


DA

en-noun

DA (countable and uncountable, plural DAs or DA's)

(UK politics) Initialism of devolved administration.


placeman

Plus, contrary to hysterical prediction and uninformed innuendo, Bryant Lemuel's influence did not fill this pilot project with compliant placemen, instead leaving all appointments to the university science faculty.

2007, Christopher Brookmyre, Attack of the Unsinkable Rubber Ducks, →ISBN, page 183:

Predictably, the brow-beaten Clement in the end submitted to Philip's demands that the papal commission, which was eventually convened in November 1309, should consist predominantly of clerics who were known to be royal placemen.

2007, Edwin Mullins, The Popes of Avignon, Blue Bridge, published 2008, page 32:

(UK politics, derogatory) One appointed to an office, especially in government, as a reward for political or other support; an appointee, a yes-man.


Hansard

Legislative Council of Hong Kong
Luke Hansard
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Thomas Curson Hansard

From Hansard, the surname of Thomas Curson Hansard (1776–1833), an English printer who inherited the business of printing reports of parliamentary debates and proceedings from his father Luke Hansard (1752–1828). T. C. Hansard added his name to the title of the reports from 1829, and from about 1859 they began to be referred to generically as “Hansards”.

Mr. BURNS thought that if they were to have a Hansard at all, they should take steps to have it thoroughly well done, and he would be very glad if they could get rid of these corrections altogether. He thought the exact words, or as nearly as possible the exact words, should be put into the Hansard, and the staff should be so efficient that there would be no necessity for corrections.

1868 October 16, A[rthur] J[ohn] Burns, “Reporting Debates”, in New Zealand. Parliamentary Debates. Third Session of the Fourth Parliament. […] (House of Representatives), volume IV, Wellington: G. Didsbury, government printer, →OCLC, page 372, column 1:

Now, Hansard's Debates originated in the year 1803, and through the enterprize of a son of the late Mr. Luke Hansard, who had been so long connected with the printing of the House, these Debates had supplied the Parliament with a very accurate record of its proceedings. They were cited continually in the House, and so great was their reputation that even in Prussia they had a Preussiches Hansard; there was also a Hansard's Debates both in Canada and Australia. [...] Suppose, then, that these Debates came to an end to-morrow; [...] the newspapers would not supply them with the materials which were now contained in Hansard. It was impossible that the newspapers could report the proceedings of the House at sufficient length.

1875 May 4, Mitchell Henry, “Parliament—Publication of Debates and Exclusion of Strangers.—Resolution.”, in Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, […] (House of Commons), volume CCXXIV (Third Series), 3rd volume of the session, London: Published by Cornelius Buck, at the office for “Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates,” […], →OCLC, columns 68–70:

He, for example, who would essay to take account of Mr. [William Ewart] Gladstone, must read much else besides Hansard; he must brush up his Homer, and set himself to acquire some theology.

1885, [Augustine Birrell], “Carlyle”, in Obiter Dicta, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, page 1:

In any case, the judges are not allowed to read Hansard in order to see what the sponsors, or any other member, may have said. This is a much criticised rule, but there is a certain amount to be said for it. The legislative processes, through which the parliamentary draftsman's work must pass, are confusing and muddled.

1983, Geoffrey Lewis, “Statutory Interpretation”, in Lord Atkin, London: Butterworths, →ISBN, page 118; reprinted Oxford, Oxfordshire, Portland, Or.: Hart Publishing, 1999, →ISBN:

In a country like India with a vibrant democracy, parliamentary debates play a very crucial role and are watched with keen interest by the people, who are politically conscious. The Reporters' Branch is entrusted with the responsibility of producing the Indian Hansard, i.e., the Official Report of the proceedings of Lok Sabha.

1992, “The Indian Hansard”, in Parliament of India: The Ninth Lok Sabha 1989–1991: A Study, New Delhi: Northern Book Centre for the Lok Sabha Secretariat, →ISBN, part I (Articles), page 63, column 1:

The object of the court in interpreting legislation is to give effect so far as the language permits to the intention of the legislature. If the language proves to be ambiguous I can see no sound reason not to consult Hansard to see if there is a clear statement of the meaning that the words were intended to carry. The days have long passed when the courts adopted a strict constructionist view of interpretation which required them to adopt the literal meaning of the language. [...] I cannot agree with the view that consulting Hansard will add so greatly to the cost of litigation, that on this ground alone we should refuse to do so. Modern technology greatly facilitates the recall and display of material held centrally. I have to confess that on many occasions I have had recourse to Hansard, of course only to check if my interpretation had conflicted with an express Parliamentary intention, but I can say that it does not take long to recall and assemble the relevant passages in which the particular section was dealt with in Parliament, nor does it take long to see if anything relevant was said.

1992 November 26, Lord Griffiths [Hugh Griffiths, Baron Griffiths] (judge of the House of Lords), “Pepper (Inspector of Taxes) … Respondent and Hart … Appellant [[1993] Appeal Cases 593]”, in The Law Reports of the Incorporated Council of Law Reporting: House of Lords, Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and Peerage Cases, London: Incorporated Council of Law Reporting for England and Wales, published 1993, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2019-09-18, pages 617–618:

Imagine a parliamentary stenographer scribbling furiously in the days before tape recorders. His job is to record politicians' speeches so they can be written up and preserved in an official parliamentary record like Hansard. [...] When some dramatic break or swerve in the speech seems too uncertain to sort out there and then, the stenographer sticks in clumps of hyphens, partly as a signal to himself that he will need to sort this out later when "correcting" and "clarifying" his final copy for Hansard.

1993, Graham Bradshaw, “Appendix: Dashing Othello’s Spirits”, in Misrepresentations: Shakespeare and the Materialists, Ithaca, N.Y., London: Cornell University Press, →ISBN, page 258:

Following the debate in question, Tim Loughton sent an unmarked copy of Hansard to his constituent to inform him that he would no longer be acting as his MP as the constituent had made this position untenable. [...] However, and unbeknown to Loughton, the constituent reported the debate to the police as a 'hate crime' and complained that sending a copy of Hansard was 'harassment'.

2015, Roger Williams, “Harassment in Sussex”, in Rough Justice: Citizens’ Experience of Mistreatment and Injustice in the Early Stages of Law Enforcement, Hook, Hampshire: Waterside Press, →ISBN, part 1 (Contributions, Media and Experiences), page 106:

(chiefly British, Commonwealth) The official report of debates and other proceedings in the British and some Commonwealth parliaments.


cross the floor

en-verb

cross the floor (third-person singular simple present crosses the floor, present participle crossing the floor, simple past and past participle crossed the floor)

crosses the floor (present singular third-person)
crossing the floor (participle present)
crossed the floor (participle past)
crossed the floor (past)

(UK politics, of a member of a parliament) To vote against one’s own political party in parliament.

Two weeks ago, Mr Davies intimated to Mr Brown that he was ready to cross the floor.

2007 June 27, Philip Webster, Francis Elliott, “How Brown led his latest recruit across the floor”, in Times of London, retrieved 2008-11-09:

(UK politics, informal, of a member of a parliament) To resign from one’s political party and join another party, resulting in moving from one’s currently assigned desk or seat in the legislative chamber to a new desk or seat physically located with the other members of one’s new party.


chancellor

/ˈtʃɑːnsələ/

/ˈt͡ʃænsələ/

Angela Merkel
Frick Collection
Hans Holbein the Younger
Thomas More

From Anglo-Norman or Middle English chaunceler, chanceler, canceler (“chief administrative or executive officer of a ruler; chancellor, secretary; private secretary, scribe; Lord Chancellor of England; officer of the ruler's exchequer; a high administrative or executive officer (for example, a deputy or representative of a bishop; the head of a university)”), from Old French cancelier, chancelier (“chancellor”), from Late Latin cancellārius (“secretary; doorkeeper, porter; usher of a court of law stationed at the bars separating the public from the judges”), from Latin cancellī (plural of cancellus (“grate; bars, barrier; railings”), diminutive of cancer (“grid; barrier”), from Proto-Italic *karkros (“enclosure”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to bend, turn”)) + -ārius (suffix forming nouns denoting an agent of use).
The word was present as Late Old English canceler, cancheler, from Norman cancheler, but was displaced in the 13th century by the Old French and Anglo-Norman forms mentioned above.

refn

From the Frick Collection in New York City, New York, USA.

مُسْتَشَار

[page 111] […] Lord Falkland […] took an Opportunity to tell the King, that He had now a good Opportunity to prefer Mr. Hyde, by making him Chancellor of the Exchequer, in the Place of Sir John Colepepper; […] [page 112] He [Colepepper] ſurrendered his Office of Chancellor of the Exchequer: And the next Day Mr. Hyde was ſworn of the Privy-Council, and Knighted, and had his Patents ſealed for that Office.

[1760, Edward, Earl of Clarendon [i.e., Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon], “Part the Second”, in The Life of Edward, Earl of Clarendon, Lord High Chancellor of England, and Chancellor of the University of Oxford. […], volume I, Oxford, Oxfordshire: At the Clarendon Printing-house, →OCLC, pages 111 and 112:

Chancellor Philip Hammond has told the BBC he and other MPs will "find a way" of blocking a no-deal Brexit. […] Mr Hammond is expected to be replaced as chancellor whoever wins the Conservative leadership election later this month.

2019 July 5, “Philip Hammond: MPs will and should Stop No-deal Brexit”, in BBC News, archived from the original on 2019-07-08:

Liz Truss has sacked Kwasi Kwarteng as her chancellor and replaced him with Jeremy Hunt ahead of a U-turn on key sections of her disastrous mini-budget, as she launched a desperate attempt to restore her crumbling political authority.

2022 October 14, “Liz Truss sacks Kwasi Kwarteng before corporation tax U-turn”, in The Guardian:

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer#English

A senior secretary or official with administrative or legal duties, sometimes in charge of some area of government such as finance or justice.

(UK politics) Ellipsis of Chancellor of the Exchequer.


C

(UK politics, in election results) Abbreviation of Conservative.


Commons

Commons (disambiguation)#People
House of Commons

(UK politics, Canadian politics) The House of Commons, part of the parliament under the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy.


Con

(UK politics) Abbreviation of Conservative.


Labor

(UK politics, American spelling, Australian spelling) Misspelling of Labour. (UK political party)


Lords

(British, UK politics, plural only) Ellipsis of House of Lords.


Whig

From Whiggamore, possibly from Scots whiggamore (“horse driver”), from whig (“to drive”) + mare.

whig

a member of an 18th- and 19th-century political party

(UK politics, historical) A member of an 18th- and 19th-century political party in Britain that was opposed to the Tories, and eventually became the Liberal Party.

(UK politics, rare) A member (especially a politician) of the former Liberal Party or its successor, the Liberal Democrats.


COBRA

Cabinet Office Briefing Room A
w:Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms

(UK politics) Initialism of Cabinet Office Briefing Room A.

(UK politics, by extension) Acronym of Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms.


COBRA

(UK politics, by extension) A cabinet committee meeting that would use a COBR room

(UK politics, by extension) A cabinet committee that would meet using a COBR room


CPS

Last year, for example, Raab wrote a paper for the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) – since the birth of Thatcherism one of the radical right's fiercest thinktanks […]

2012 August 22, Andy Beckett, “Britannia Unchained: the rise of the new Tory right”, in The Guardian:

Centre for Policy Studies
w:Centre for Policy Studies

(UK politics) Initialism of Centre for Policy Studies.


FCO

The FCO also disputes Fernández's claim that Britain kicked out the island's original Argentinian inhabitants.

2013 January 3, Luke Harding, Uki Goni, The Guardian:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
w:Foreign and Commonwealth Office

(British, UK politics) Initialism of Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


PSI

Policy Studies Institute
w:Policy Studies Institute

(UK politics) Initialism of Policy Studies Institute, a British think tank.


Nat

(slang, informal, UK politics) A member or supporter of the Scottish National Party.


Majorism

(UK politics) The political and economic policies of the British Conservative prime minister Sir John Major.


Whitehall

en-proper noun

Whitehall (countable and uncountable, plural Whitehalls)

From Middle English whit (“white”) + halgh (“corner, nook; hall”).

Britain's securocracy - Whitehall spymasters, backed up by government lawyers, engaged in the increasingly thankless task of preserving state secrets - are faced with an intriguing conundrum. What do they do when the bulwark they have been relying on for so long to protect their secrets crumbles before their eyes?

2000 July 27, Richard Norton-Taylor, “Analysis: The secret's out”, in the Guardian:

It notes: "The Welsh Government's view is that genuine 'levelling up' cannot simply mean a sprinkling of new, ad hoc rail projects decided in Whitehall, it has to be part of a strategic approach to promoting growth in all parts of the UK."

2020 December 2, Philip Haigh, “When will Wales's wish for rail improvements come true?”, in Rail, page 32:

(UK politics, by extension, metonymically) The British government or civil service


Blairite

The Blairites came up with young country and new this, new that, but it was cosmetic.

2001 August 27, Madeleine Bunting, “The end is nigh: pessimism rules”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics, informal) A supporter of Tony Blair, British prime minister from 1997 to 2007, or his policies.


Blairite

(UK politics) Relating to Blairites or to Tony Blair's government and policies.


TCA

Labour, which has said it will not take the UK back into the EU, the single market or customs union, has, however, already committed to using the 2025 review of the TCA to try to reduce barriers to trade.

2023 February 11, Toby Helm, “Revealed: secret cross-party summit held to confront failings of Brexit”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

Trade and Cooperation Agreement
w:EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement

(European politics, UK politics) Initialism of Trade and Cooperation Agreement.


New Labour

From the slogan “New Labour, New Britain”, used by Tony Blair in his 1994 Labour Party Conference speech.

(UK politics) A movement in the 1990s and 2000s to rebrand the British Labour Party by discarding traditional goals such as nationalization and socialism.


Rt Hon

Right Honourable
Right Honourable#English

Members of Parliament
Member of Parliament

(UK and Commonwealth politics) Abbreviation of Right Honourable. (in the titles of Members of Parliament)


IDS

(UK politics) Initialism of Iain Duncan Smith.


Liberal Democrat

en-noun

Liberal Democrat (plural Liberal Democrats)

(Australian politics, UK politics) a member of the Liberal Democrats political party


Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrats (UK)
Liberal Party (UK)
Social Democratic Party (UK)

From the merger of the Liberals and the Social Democrats.

(UK politics) A centrist political party


OST

Office of Science and Technology
w:Office of Science and Technology

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of Office of Science and Technology.


leaver

An extraordinary cross-party summit bringing together leading leavers and remainers – including Michael Gove and senior members of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet – has been held in high secrecy to address the failings of Brexit and how to remedy them in the national interest, the Observer can reveal.

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of Leaver


chaperone

/ˈʃæ.pəˌɹoʊn/

/ˈʃæ.pəˌɹəʊn/

(UK, business) An employee sent by a British company to the European Union to work with a client there, to circumvent restrictions imposed after Brexit.


Little Englander

Little Englander (plural Little Englanders)

(British, derogatory, modern) A bigoted, xenophobic, and nationalistic English person.

(British, derogatory, modern) Someone unaware of the world outside England.

(British, archaic) Someone who advocated an end to the British Empire.


Home Secretary

Home Secretary (plural Home Secretaries)

(British) The British cabinet minister, responsible for law and order, who is head of the Home Office.


Home Office

(British, UK politics) The British government department, headed by the Home Secretary, responsible for security and law enforcement in England and Wales.

內政部 /内政部

ministry responsible for internal affairs


Tories

Helped by massive tax increases piled on to the electorate by the Tories in their first post-election budget, we slowly began to win the battle.

2011, Philip Gould, The Unfinished Revolution: How New Labour Changed British Politics:

(UK politics) The British Conservative Party


Lib Dem

(Australian politics, UK politics, informal) Liberal Democrat


NOC

NOC (countable and uncountable, plural NOCs)

(UK politics) Initialism of no overall control.


the other place

[W]e all trooped from our end of the building to the House of Lords - which I'm told, for some reason, we must never refer to by name. We have to call it 'another place' or 'the other place'[.]

1999, Gyles Brandreth, chapter 3, in Breaking the Code:

(parliamentary) the other house of a bicameral legislature (used by members of one house when speaking in their own house); in the UK, the House of Lords seen from the House of Commons or vice versa; in Canada, the Senate seen from the House of Commons or vice versa.

(UK, Oxford University slang, derogatory) University of Cambridge

(UK, Cambridge University slang, derogatory) University of Oxford


MOD

Ministry of Defence
w:Ministry of Defence

(UK politics) Initialism of Ministry of Defence; also MoD.


man in the moon

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-man in the moon.wav

nb...

Waterloo Place, London Oxford and Cambridge

ref

See S[abine] Baring-Gould (1890) “The Man in the Moon”, in Curious Myths of the Middle Ages, London: Rivingtons […], →OCLC, pages 190–191.

Non eſt inventus: there's no ſuch man to be found; let them that have the commiſſion for the concealments looke after it, or the man in the moone put for it.

1596, Tho[mas] Nashe, “Dialogus”, in Haue with You to Saffron-Walden. Or, Gabriell Harveys Hunt is Up. […], London: […] John Danter, →OCLC; republished as J[ohn] P[ayne] C[ollier], editor, Have with You to Saffron-Walden (Miscellaneous Tracts; Temp. Eliz. and Jac. I), [London: s.n., 1870], →OCLC, page 131:

235. To whom did you say that you wanted a ticket for home?—The stranger. / 236. The Man in the Moon?—Yes. / […] / 245. And I may ask you, was it also included as one of the tickets in the amount that the Man in the Moon paid you?—[…]—Yes, it was; the last received by me.

1851 March 29, Edwin James, counsel for the petitioners, William Locke, witness, “Minutes of Evidence Taken before the Select Committee on the Aylesbury Election Petition”, in Reports from Committees: […], volume 6, [London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office], →OCLC, page 17:

There was a man named Moore, a stranger in the town, whose pedigree nobody could trace, and who was called the "Man in the Moon." He was thought to move about and dispose of money in a way which nobody could trace. He had received a sum of 500l., and out of that he had paid to Mr. Lang, innkeeper, a sum of 50l., and he did not vote at all. Next came a Thomas Stead, a shopkeeper, in Northgate, Wakefield, who had received 60l., which was paid to him by Dan Robinson, an understrapper to the "Man in the Moon." The money was thus traced to Moore, from him to Fernandes, and from him to the defendant and to Beckett's bank, where it had been placed by Mr. J[ohn] D[odgson] Charlesworth, the candidate.

1862, T[homas] Campbell Foster, W[illiam] F[rancis] Finlason, reporters, “Regina v. John Barff Charlesworth”, in Reports of Cases Decided at Nisi Prius and at the Crown Side on Circuit; with Select Decisions at Chambers, volume II (Hilary Vacation, 1860, to Hilary Vacation, 1862), London: V. & R. Stevens, Sons, & Haynes; Sweet; and Maxwell; […]; Dublin: Hodges, Smith & Co., […], →OCLC, page 330:

(obsolete, figurative) An imaginary person; also (UK politics, slang), an unidentified person who illegally pays for election expenditure and electors' expenses, as long as the latter vote as the person wishes.


Churchill

/ˈt͡ʃɜːt͡ʃɪl/

/ˈt͡ʃɜːɹt͡ʃɪl/

Any of several placenames, derived from church and hill.

An unincorporated community in Bureau County, Illinois, United States.

census-designated place
census-designated place

Liberty Township
Liberty Township#English

A census-designated place in Liberty Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, United States.

Allegheny County
Allegheny County#English

A borough of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States.


Fab Four

Given the rumours of rancour and rift, the unexpected show of unity between the one-time “Fab Four” of William, Kate, Harry and Meghan has been a masterstroke in ensuring the focus over the coming days of national mourning remains firmly fixed on the late Queen Elizabeth II and the new King Charles III.

2022 September 11, Caroline Davies, “William, Kate, Harry and Meghan put Firm above their differences”, in The Guardian:

(informal, UK politics) William, Kate, Harry & Meghan


Whigs

(UK politics) An 18th- and 19th-century British political party that was opposed to the Tories, and became the Liberal Party.


SPGB

Socialist Party of Great Britain
w:Socialist Party of Great Britain

(UK politics) Initialism of Socialist Party of Great Britain.


cross-bench

(UK politics) A bench placed perpendicular to others, especially certain such benches in the House of Lords on which independent or neutral members traditionally sit.


cross-bench

en-adj

cross-bench (comparative more cross-bench, superlative most cross-bench)

more cross-bench (comparative)
most cross-bench (superlative)

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to the cross-benches in the UK houses of parliament.


backwoodsman

(informal, UK politics) A Peer who is seldom present in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom Parliament, who may be encouraged to attend when a very important vote is expected.


Blairism

(UK politics) The political ideology attributed to the governments of British Prime Minister Tony Blair


Brownism

(UK politics) The political ideology of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.


Brownite

From Brown + -ite, from the surname of Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister 2007-2010.

(UK politics, informal) A supporter of Gordon Brown, or his economic or political policies


Brownite

(UK politics) Of, or relating to Brownites, or Gordon Brown's government and policies.


remembrancer

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

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of Remembrancer: an official of the City of London Corporation.


Remembrancer

(UK politics) Any of several former officials in the Court of Exchequer.

“Thank you. Tuesday evening, in four days’ time, Daedra West hosts a gathering, the venue yet to be announced. Possibly one of the guildhalls. Her guest list, so far, is interesting.” She looked at Lev. “The Remembrancer himself may be there. Lesser faces from the City.[…]

2014, William Gibson, The Peripheral, G. P. Putnam's Sons, →ISBN, page 222:

In particular, Harkaway told him about the unelected offices of the Lord Mayor and the City Remembrancer, who can be mistaken for figureheads but, in fact, have extensive powers.

2014 November 16, Ned Beauman, “William Gibson: ‘We always think of ourselves as the cream of creation’”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) A similar official of the City of London Corporation.


two-tier

two-tier policing

two-tier Keir (nickname for prime minister Keir Starmer)

(UK politics, derogatory) Giving preferential treatment to left-wingers over right-wingers.


JM

(UK politics, slang) Initialism of John Major, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1990 to 1997.


Number 10

There are honourable people in the government and principled advisers working in Number 10, even if their unheralded service is obscured by the crass antics of spin doctors and the demagoguery of some ministers.

2009 April 23, Bagehot, “Who's Nasty Now?”, in The Economist, page 61:

10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street#English

(UK politics) Synonym of 10 Downing Street.


CON

Conservative Party
w:Conservative Party (UK)

(UK politics) Abbreviation of Conservative Party.


Chancellor of the Exchequer

cabinet minister
cabinet minister#English

The official title held by the British cabinet minister, who is responsible for all governmental economic and financial matters, including the treasury.

財政大臣 /财政大臣

minister responsible for governmental finances and treasury


SEU

Social Exclusion Unit
w:Social Exclusion Unit

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of Social Exclusion Unit.


first minister

The Welsh first minister has defended his decision to travel to Qatar for the World Cup, saying he feels that the citizens of Wales want their country’s leader there despite concerns about human rights and working conditions.

2022 November 20, Steven Morris, “Welsh first minister defends trip to World Cup in Qatar”, in The Guardian:

Yousaf is almost certain to be confirmed as Scotland’s next first minister in a nominal vote at Holyrood on Tuesday but now has to bridge those divides by bringing the SNP’s warring wings together.

2023 March 27, Severin Carrell, Libby Brooks, “Humza Yousaf elected leader of Scottish National party”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) A leader of a devolved government such as Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.


three-line whip

en-noun

three-line whip (plural three-line whips)

From the triple underlining of very important votes on “the whip” — a document detailing upcoming business distributed weekly to British MPs by party managers.

Since the metaphysical status of egg-casing is not one on which the church has yet pronounced, opposition appears based on "yuck" and nothing else. But yuck has become diktat, with Catholic MPs up to cabinet level being given a three-line whip by their bishops.

2008 April 12, Simon Jenkins, Richard Harries, “Atheist versus Bishop”, in The Guardian:

Deputy Chief Whip Craig Whittaker told them it will be a “100% hard” three-line whip, saying: “This is not a motion on fracking. This is a confidence motion in the Government.”

2022 October 19, Ashley Cowburn, quoting Craig Whittaker, “Liz Truss declares fracking vote tonight a ‘confidence motion’ in her government”, in Mirror:

(UK politics) A directive to MPs from party leaders to vote in a particular way in parliament, despite what the MP might believe or what his or her constituents might like.


spad

SPAD Special Advisor

1997 November 24, Reddy Hannah with Wimbush, Angela and Linesberry, Debbie, “Abbreviations and Acronyms”, in Dr. Russell G. Swenson, editor, Defense and Intelligence Abbreviations and Acronyms, Washington, DC: Joint Military Intelligence College, archived from the original on 2017-09-18, page 192:

A successful stint as a spad can be a crucial political apprenticeship - as many of the current crop of professional politicians including the Miliband brothers, David Cameron and George Osborne can testify - so long as they stay in the dark.

2009, Ben Wright, Hidden world of the political advisers, BBC:

The hit BBC sitcom satirising the inner workings of Whitehall and the so-called spads contains "more than a grain of truth", the head of the cross-party public administration select committee has warned.

2012, Avoid The Thick of It-style spad appointments, ministers told, The Guardian

(UK politics, informal) A government adviser, often in a political or media role.


early day motion

early day motion (plural early day motions)

(UK politics) A formal motion submitted for debate in the House of Commons.


Thatcherize

en-verb

Thatcherize (third-person singular simple present Thatcherizes, present participle Thatcherizing, simple past and past participle Thatcherized)

Thatcherizes (present singular third-person)
Thatcherizing (participle present)
Thatcherized (participle past)
Thatcherized (past)

From Thatcher + -ize, named after British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013).

named-after

Throughout the 1980s, she had been Thatcherizing the Cabinet.

1991, Bruce Anderson, John Major: The Making of the Prime Minister:

This Thatcherized ethos showed how easily militant economism worked against the Left, once the postwar settlement's corporatist scaffolding was gone […]

(transitive, UK politics) To subject to Thatcherism.

(transitive) To modify (an image) by partial inversion, so that it triggers the Thatcher effect in observers.


Adullamite

From Adullam + -ite, in the political sense from a speech by John Bright in Parliament on 13 March 1866 deriding the anti-reformist faction of Edward Horsman as a “Cave of Adullam”, i.e. a group of malcontents.

(UK politics, historical) A member of the anti-reform faction of the British Liberal Party in the 19th century.


Labourite

(UK politics) a member or supporter of the British Labour Party, the left wing party of Great Britain


Thatcherist

(UK politics) A proponent of Thatcherism.


Thatcherization

From Thatcher + -ization, named after British prime minister Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013).


SNP

(UK politics) Initialism of Scottish National Party.


Churchillian

en-adj

Churchillian (comparative more Churchillian, superlative most Churchillian)

more Churchillian (comparative)
most Churchillian (superlative)

/t͡ʃɜː(ɹ)ˈt͡ʃɪli.ən/

Barton was gorillian of build, all of it muscle, and Churchillian of jaw, all of it stubborn, but for all that amazingly good at not trampling over the authority of village elders.

1998, Dana Stabenow, Fire and Ice, page 77:

They are Churchillian theme parks of red pillar boxes, fish and chips and warm beer. But they want the smooth without the rough. When the neighbours cut up nasty, they demand that those whose taxes protect them should send soldiers, diplomats and lawyers to their aid.

2013 August 14, Simon Jenkins, “Gibraltar and the Falklands deny the logic of history”, in The Guardian:

Why, [Jacob Rees-]Mogg even offers the same shtick: Etonian accent, Latin tags, supposedly lovable Wodehousian eccentricity, sub-Churchillian evocation of the glorious past of this island race.

2017 October 4, Jonathan Freedland, “Boorish Boris: Johnson’s Libya joke is proof he cannot do his job”, in The Guardian:

Boris Johnson's speech to the nation on Sunday May 10 was rambly, incoherent, and he failed dismally in his attempt to sound Churchillian.

2020 May 20, Christian Wolmar, “Clarity is required on social distancing and the railways”, in Rail, page 50:

Of or pertaining to Winston Churchill (1874–1965), English statesman and author, or to his policies, speeches, or writings.


NuLab

New Labour rendered in Orwellian Newspeak.

We are totally opposed to the creeping privatisation of these services which NuLab has indicated it will commence once this election is safely out of the way.

2001, Patrick Harrington, Cliff Morrison, Third Way Manifesto:

(UK, informal, derogatory, UK politics) New Labour.


CMA

Indeed, the more common complaint is that the regulator is too willing to accept an acquirer’s proposed remedies to competition concerns. Microsoft tried the remedy route with Activision but the CMA, unusually, wasn’t convinced. Tough.

2023 April 27, Nils Pratley, “Ignore Microsoft’s whines about the Activision takeover. The CMA did its job”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Competition and Markets Authority
w:Competition and Markets Authority

(UK politics) Initialism of Competition and Markets Authority.


Thatcheresque

Thatcheresque (comparative more Thatcheresque, superlative most Thatcheresque)

more Thatcheresque (comparative)
most Thatcheresque (superlative)

Reminiscent of Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013), former British prime minister, or her policies.


IEA

"The European economic and welfare model – I think it's over," says Mark Littlewood, director of the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), like the CPS a veteran British free-market thinktank reinvigorated by current possibilities.

2012 August 22, Andy Beckett, “Britannia Unchained: the rise of the new Tory right”, in The Guardian:

Institute of Economic Affairs
w:Institute of Economic Affairs

(UK politics, economics) Initialism of Institute of Economic Affairs: a British neoliberal think tank.


SPAD

(UK politics, informal) Alternative form of spad (“special advisor in government”)


10 Downing Street

(UK politics) The address of the residence in London of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

[…] he declared from early in his life that he intended to be viceroy of India, as a natural stepping-stone on his way to 10 Downing Street.

2001, Trevor Owen Lloyd, Empire: the history of the British Empire, →ISBN, page 138:

(UK politics, by extension, metonymically) The title or office of the Prime Minister.

[…] explicitly clear, in the way that 10 Downing Street has made it clear in the case of city academies, that it is perfectly legitimate to put people in the House of Lords […]

2006, Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Public Administration Select Committee, Propriety and Honours: Interim Findings; Fourth Report of Session 2005-06, volume 29, →ISBN, page 23:

(by extension, metonymically) The government of the United Kingdom.


Holyrood

From Middle English Holy Rood, Holyrode, holy-rode, holy roode, hali rode, halgorode, equivalent to holy + rood (“crucifix, cross”).
The town in Newfoundland is named after a location near Crewkerne, Somerset.

But Matheson has indicated that the Scottish Government will not be responding to the consultation because transport policy in Scotland is a matter for ministers at Holyrood and not at Westminster.

2020 December 16, “Network News: Scotland set to snub Johnson's Union Connectivity Review”, in RAIL, page 21:

Yousaf is almost certain to be confirmed as Scotland’s next first minister in a nominal vote at Holyrood on Tuesday but now has to bridge those divides by bringing the SNP’s warring wings together.

2023 March 27, Severin Carrell, Libby Brooks, “Humza Yousaf elected leader of Scottish National party”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics, by extension, metonymically) The Scottish Parliament.


unstar

en-verb

unstar (third-person singular simple present unstars, present participle unstarring, simple past and past participle unstarred)

unstars (present singular third-person)
unstarring (participle present)
unstarred (participle past)
unstarred (past)

(transitive, UK politics) To demote a question from an oral one to a written one (because oral questions are conventionally marked with a star on the Order of Business in the House of Commons).


ΠΒ

Initialism of Πρόεδρος (Próedros) της (tis) Βουλής (Voulís).

(UK politics) Speaker of the House of Commons


NIO

Stormont officials spelled out linguistic pitfalls that could offend nationalists and unionists in a 164-page guidance document for Mandelson and other new NIO ministers.

2023 August 23, Rory Carroll, “Files reveal terms ministers were warned not to use in Northern Ireland”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Northern Ireland Office
w:Northern Ireland Office

(UK politics) Initialism of Northern Ireland Office.


Conservative Party

Margaret Thatcher, leader of the Conservative Party, was Britain's first female Prime Minister.

(UK politics) A centre-right political party, official full name Conservative and Unionist Party, informally known as the Tory Party or Tories.


LAB

(UK politics) Abbreviation of Labour Party.


Johnsonian

en-adj

Johnsonian (comparative more Johnsonian, superlative most Johnsonian)

more Johnsonian (comparative)
most Johnsonian (superlative)

/d͡ʒɒnˈsəʊnɪ.ən/

To stop no-deal, MPs must adopt some Johnsonian ruthlessness and be ready to bring down the prime minister and put someone else, probably Jeremy Corbyn, in his place.

2019 August 29, “The Guardian view on Johnson v parliament: an unelective dictatorship”, 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.


Number Ten

Coordinate term: Number 11

(UK politics, colloquial) Synonym of 10 Downing Street


SLD

Scottish Liberal Democrats
w:Scottish Liberal Democrats

(UK politics) Initialism of Scottish Liberal Democrats.

Social and Liberal Democrats
w:Social and Liberal Democrats

(UK politics) Initialism of Social and Liberal Democrats the former name of the Liberal Democrats.


Cleggmania

Before the debate the Daily Telegraph, a Conservative-leaning newspaper, had tried to prick the Cleggmania bubble by running a story alleging that Clegg had received payments from party donors directly into his private bank account.

2010, John Bartle, Nicholas Allen, Britain at the Polls 2010, page 192:

Cleggmania briefly hit Orpington but we need to call our voters and tell them to stick to the blue corner[…]

2011, Rachel Johnson, A Diary of The Lady: My First Year As Editor:

(UK politics, informal) Enthusiasm for British Liberal Democrat politician Nick Clegg.


PEP

Coordinate term: PSI

Come a survey like last week’s PEP report on the extent of race prejudice, and another such wave looks like jogging the Government into introducing legislation dealing with housing and employment.

1967, “Researchers find widespread discrimination and prejudice against immigrants to Britain”, in The Observer:

Political and Economic Planning
w:Political and Economic Planning

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of Political and Economic Planning, a British policy think tank.


Wilsonian

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-Wilsonian.wav

(UK politics) Of or relating to British politician Harold Wilson or his policies.


Peelite

From Peel + -ite, after Sir Robert Peel.

(UK politics, historical) One of a breakaway faction of the British Conservative Party in the nineteenth century, characterised by a commitment to free trade and a managerial, almost technocratic, approach to government.


Blairist

Blairist (comparative more Blairist, superlative most Blairist)

more Blairist (comparative)
most Blairist (superlative)

The campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq left him looking like the leader of a Blairist 'front' party as he backed the government on these and other issues.

2006, David Childs, Britain Since 1945: A Political History, page 298:

The Blairist emphasis on inclusiveness and recruitment by post code will likewise set off a new downward spiral in education[…]

2000, The Salisbury Review: Volumes 19-20:

(UK politics) Favouring, or according to, the policies of Tony Blair, British prime minister 1997-2007.


blue wall

From blue + wall. From the representative color of the political party, and the solidity of support for that party in that region.

Coordinate term: red wall

(UK politics) A group of Conservative-leaning parliamentary constituencies that are seen as shifting away from the party.


rejoiner

From rejoin + -er (agent noun suffix) or + -er (ideological suffix).

All these obstacles are real. None can be wished away. Which is why rejoiners need to look to the likes of [Nigel] Farage and [John] Redwood for inspiration.

2023 June 23, Jonathan Freedland, “With even leavers regretting Brexit, there’s one path back to rejoining the EU”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(UK politics) Someone who wants the United Kingdom to join the European Union again.


Thatchernomics

(economics) The economic policies followed by Margaret Thatcher, British prime minister.


clear blue water

Introduced by the Conservative Party in the 1990s.

It was the Conservatives' policy, designed in part to put some clear blue water between themselves and Labour and to refresh Conservative Party ideas.

2002, Anthony Forster, Euroscepticism in Contemporary British Politics, page 27:

But, Boyle's admission does put clear blue water between CC and the autonomist politics of another notorious commons enthusiast, Peter Linebaugh, who is also included in this chapter.

[…] the Conservatives can still create clear blue water between them and Labour by showing how they prioritise the family over the State.

2011, Martin H. M. Steven, Christianity and Party Politics: Keeping the Faith, page 62:

I was of the view that there ought to be clear blue water between us and the Tories on this issue.

Sitting on the bottom of both league tables - with clear blue water between it and the next worst operator - is Avanti West Coast.

2023 February 8, Sir Michael Holden, “Comment: Boom or bust: time to decide”, in RAIL, number 976, page 3:

(idiomatic, especially UK politics) An obvious, unambiguous divide between the policies of two parties.

daylight

emotional or psychological distance, or disagreement; usually in the expression put daylight between oneself and someone


CPB

Communist Party of Britain
w:Communist Party of Britain

(UK politics) Initialism of Communist Party of Britain.


Borismania

2012 October 8, James Kirkup, The Telegraph:

(UK politics) Enthusiasm for Boris Johnson (born 1964), British politician and Mayor of London.


Thatcherian

Thatcherian (comparative more Thatcherian, superlative most Thatcherian)

more Thatcherian (comparative)
most Thatcherian (superlative)

Of or relating to Margaret Thatcher (1925–2013), British prime minister.


MoD

The MoD said the injured men received immediate medical attention and were evacuated by air to the military hospital at Camp Bastion, but three could not be saved. Next of kin have been informed. The other soldiers hurt are not thought to have life-threatening injures.

2013 May 1, Nicholas Watt, Nick Hopkins, “Afghanistan bomb: UK to 'look carefully' at use of vehicles”, in The Guardian:

Ministry of Defence
w:Ministry of Defence

(UK politics) Initialism of Ministry of Defence; also MOD.


EDL

The very Ballardian violence comes from rogue Salafist jihadists and their far-right counterparts, the Nativists (imagine the EDL with brains); […]

2015 September 8, Alex Preston, “Submission by Michel Houellebecq review – satire that’s more subtle than it seems”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

The EDL said Saturday’s rally was aimed at highlighting what it describes as a “continued increase in Islamic terrorism” linked to Birmingham.

2017 April 8, Nicola Slawson, “Birmingham mosque counters EDL rally with ‘best of British’ tea party”, in The Guardian:

English Defence League
w:English Defence League

(UK politics) Initialism of English Defence League.


grumbletonian

He was often dis-guſted, and thought a Grumble-tonian; but there was no getting an inſight into his Proceedings. He’d be counted ſometimes (behind the Curtain) a High-Flyer, and Tory-rory-Ranter; yet, by his natural In-ſtinks, he inclined to be of the Low-Party: Some ſay he was of no Side, but between both.

1722, The Rump Examin’d; with It’s Secrets Discover’d, and laid open, A. Moore, page 18:

(obsolete, UK politics, derogatory, slang) Originally a member of the 17th-century Country Party; later a member of the opposition.


command paper

So called because they are presented to Parliament formally "by Her Majesty's Command".

(UK) A document issued by the government and presented to Parliament.


PPC

en-noun

PPC (countable and uncountable, plural PPCs)

(UK politics) Initialism of prospective parliamentary candidate: a candidate selected for a future election before the election campaign has officially begun.


Majorite

(UK politics) A political supporter of John Major (born 1943), British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister from 1990 to 1997.


Indyref

Abbreviation of independence referendum.

In the first foreign policy initiative launched in Edinburgh since 1707, senior SNP figures have begun an intense round of behind-the-scenes meetings with foreign dignitaries as they prepare the ground for next year's indyref.

2013 October 23, David Leask, “SNP’s mission to woo the world”, in The Herald, Glasgow, archived from the original on 2017-05-17:

Experienced politicians were surprised by the astounding vitality that the indyref unleashed.

2014 September 23, Peter Jones, “Referendum shows the power of people”, in The Scotsman, Edinburgh, archived from the original on 2017-05-17:

Coming exactly a year after the same “impossible” moment when the Yes vote hit 51 per cent before the indyref, this concerted and hysterical attack will have stirred memories and prompted sympathy among fellow Trident and austerity-opposing Yes voters.

2015 September 13, Lesley Riddoch, “Corbyn could play well with Scots”, in The Scotsman, Edinburgh, archived from the original on 2016-03-24:

My only regrets are thatbrad T2 failed to get to grips with the new era of #indyref and Scottish national identity – for which Renton's famous "shite" speech helped plant a tiny seed in 1996 – and that the second film didn't give the women characters much to do, especially the excellent Kelly Macdonald and Shirley Henderson.

2017 January 19, Peter Bradshaw, “T2 Trainspotting review – choose a sequel that doesn’t disappoint”, in The Guardian, London, archived from the original on 2017-01-20:

(Scotland, informal) The Scottish independence referendum held on 18 September 2014.


Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells

Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells (plural Disgusteds of Tunbridge Wells)

An invented pseudonym of the supposed writer of a letter to a local newspaper in the archetypal Middle England town of Tunbridge Wells. Possibly first coined 1944 in the BBC radio series Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh.

The Post Office bitterly resents the criticism that is constantly voiced in the British press, both by "Disgusteds of Tunbridge Wells" and journalists.

1979, Adrian Hope, “Kept Incommunicado”, in New Scientist, page 1048:

It was refreshing that what raised the hackles of Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells had nothing to do with a colourful range of jumpers, nor a flighty Italian art director/photographer.

Of course 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' was never a Labour voter.

2003, Colin Leys, Market-driven Politics: Neoliberal Democracy and the Public Interest, Verso, →ISBN, page 216:

The Sussex Weald is all small towns and villages, 99 per cent white, gravel-drived, car-owning, the sort of place Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells would move to if he found Tunbridge Wells a bit too bustling.

2007, Jeremy Paxman, The Political Animal, Penguin UK, →ISBN:

The inanity of the British attack is obvious from some of the words the early Disgusteds of Tunbridge Wells complained about.

2011, Justin Webb, Notes on Them and Us: From the Mayflower to Obama – the British, the Americans and the special essential relationship., Short Books, →ISBN:

(UK, idiomatic) A stereotypical vocal conservative curmudgeon.


Devonwall

"The Highlands and Islands" phenomenon is the Scottish equivalent of "Devonwall" and all efforts must be made to challenge the creation of any more "Highlands and Islands" institutions which bring together the Highlands and the Northern Isles.

2000, Celtic League, Carn, volumes 108-117, page 4:

A conference at Newquay in November 1987, called at the behest of the Duke of Cornwall, allowed the proponents of 'Devonwall' to come up with a proposal for a Devon and Cornwall Development Company.

2003, Bernard Deacon, Garry Tregidga, Mebyon Kernow and Cornish Nationalism:

A new power to cross previously sacrosanct English county boundaries will arouse deep controversy in some parts, most notably in the far south-west of England where a 'Devonwall' constituency will become a reality and disappoint electors in both Cornwall and Devon.

2013, Justin Fisher, Christopher Wlezien, The UK General Election of 2010: Explaining the Outcome, Routledge, →ISBN, page 173:

Part and parcel of its involvement in such issues as industrial development, a Cornish university and the amalgamation of Cornish and Devonian public bodies (what became known as 'Devonwall') was a more public profile for its leaders.

2014, Derek R. Williams, Following 'An Gof': Leonard Truran, Cornish Activist and Publisher, The Cornovia Press, →ISBN, page 14:

(chiefly derogatory) The merger of local government structures in Devon and Cornwall.


TUSC

w:Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

(UK politics) Acronym of Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.


Milifandom

Abby says the Milifandom, which started last week, is “a movement against the distorted media portrayal of Ed”.

2015 April 21, Rebecca Ratcliffe, “Milifandom soars with Twitter backing for Labour leader Ed Miliband”, in The Guardian:

The student, who describes the 'Milifandom' as 'a movement against the distorted media portrayal of Ed', started the unlikely cult-following of Miliband in the run-up to the May election.

That, Ed Miliband told the Evening Standard, was his wife Justine's reaction to the news that her husband had a fandom. Milifandom.

2015, Iain Watson, Five Million Conversations: How Labour lost and election and rediscovered its roots:

So I jokingly suggested to an excolleague at BuzzFeed via Twitter that this could be her next piece, since she'd been the first to uncover the 'Milifandom' (the band of teenage girls who had developed swooning, semiironic crushes on Labour leader Ed Miliband during the 2015 eelection campaign).

2016, Robert Colvile, The Great Acceleration: How the World is Getting Faster, Faster:

A teenager has taken Milifandom to a whole new level by getting Ed Miliband's face tattooed on her thigh.

2016 January 12, Dan Bloom, “Milifandom taken to whole new level as teen fan gets Ed Miliband's face tattooed on her thigh”, in The Mirror:

And after Milifandom signally failed to shift votes in places like Nuneaton, the PM told last year’s post-election party conference ‘Britain and Twitter are not the same thing’.

2016 June 22, Paul Waugh, “How The ‘Ground War’, And Digital Targeting, Will Decide The EU Referendum Result”, in The Huffington Post:

(colloquial, UK politics) An Internet-based youth movement in support of Ed Miliband, then leader of the British Labour Party.


Brexit

Blend of Britain + exit, formed by analogy with Grexit.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest attested use is on 15 May 2012 in a Euractiv blog post by Peter Wilding titled “Stumbling towards the Brexit”, formed by analogy with Grexit, coined on 6 February 2012.

Unless a clear view is pushed that Britain must lead in Europe at the very least to achieve the completion of the single market then the portmanteau for Greek euro exit might be followed by another sad word, Brexit.

2012 May 15, Peter Wilding, “Stumbling towards the Brexit”, in EurActiv, archived from the original on 2016-06-24:

The business community began to take the idea of Brexit seriously. Three major American banks, the Bank of America, Citibank and Morgan Stanley, revealed they were working on contingency plans to relocate from London to Dublin […]

2015, Denis MacShane, Brexit: How Britain Will Leave Europe, London: I.B. Tauris, →ISBN, page 6:

David Cameron has resigned as Prime Minister after Britain voted to leave the European Union. It followed a turbulent night with Remain campaigners quietly confident until the early hours when results from Newcastle and Sunderland showed better than expected returns for the Brexit camp. A surprise victory for a Brexit in Swansea, which was expected to vote to Remain, did little to dampen concerns despite Scotland overwhelmingly backing staying in the Union.

2016 June 24, Kate McCann, “EU referendum live: David Cameron resigns after UK shocks the world by voting for Brexit”, in The Daily Telegraph, archived from the original on 2016-06-24:

The pensions of British Eurocrats are shaping up to be one of the most politically poisonous points in the UK’s Brexit talks, as the EU and London prepare to clash over liabilities running to several billion euros.

2016 August 1, Alex Barker, Jim Brunsden, “Eurocrats’ pensions shape up to be flashpoint in Brexit talks”, in The Financial Times, London:

We must lift the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

2017 June 19, Michel Barnier, “Brexit Negotiations: David Davis says ‘Promising Start’ Made”, in BBC News:

[Donald] Tusk said: “Our agreement will not make trade between the UK and the EU frictionless or smoother. It will make it more complicated and costly than today, for all of us. This is the essence of Brexit.”

2018 March 7, Daniel Boffey, Jennifer Rankin, “EU scorns UK’s ‘pick and mix’ approach to trade post-Brexit”, in The Guardian, London:

Meanwhile, The Sunday Times revealed that civil servants had warned of a “Doomsday Brexit” if no agreement is reached, creating shortages of medicine, fuel and food.

2018 June 5, “Brexit poll reveals record number of voters think decision to leave EU is wrong”, in The Independent, London:

“It’s all incredibly unhelpful and what we need to do now is to get closer with our European partners and work out what a realistic, pragmatic Brexit is that works for both sides, the EU and ourselves.”

2018 June 23, “Brexit: Theresa May ‘not bluffing’ in threat to leave EU without a deal, Tory minister Liam Fox says”, in The Independent, London:

A further referendum is not just a way for voters to decide whether to incur the economic and social cost of a final Brexit deal.

2019 March 5, David Miliband, “As foreign secretary I argued against an EU referendum. Now I back one”, in The Guardian:

The EESC also considers that the €5.4 billion reserve will not be sufficient to mitigate the negative effects of Brexit and asks the co-legislators to increase the proposed ceiling.

2021 November, Christiaan van Lierop, European Parliamentary Research Service:

Brexit has also made it harder for the UK to deport migrants back to the EU as the country has left the bloc’s asylum scheme.

2021 December 2, “Frontex plane arrives in northern France to help fight people smuggling”, in Euronews, sourced from AFP:

Thanks to Brexit, many ferry companies now run direct from Ireland to the EU mainland, bypassing UK ports such as Fishguard, with an impact on traffic.

2022 November 16, Paul Bigland, “From rural branches to high-speed arteries”, in RAIL, number 970, page 52:

Even the BBC, long prevaricating on the issue, has started properly reporting the Brexit catastrophe, particularly its impact on the cost of living, NHS staff shortages and projections of weak future economic growth.

2023 February 2, Andrew Adonis, “Sooner or later, re-entry to the customs union and single market is inevitable”, in Prospect:

Biden’s irritation with London’s inability to solve its “Irish question” after Brexit has also played a role.

2023 August 7, Jo Harper, “UK–US: What’s happened to their free trade deal?”, in Deutsche Welle:

The mayor of London has urged EU citizens to “choose London” over other European cities, promising to make the UK capital a better place to live and work despite Brexit.

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

The Brexit referendum seemingly heralded such a moment but other than the negative sentiment of leave, the more positive agenda of what to do with the UK’s newfound status has been found wanting.

2023 November 3, Tim Olivier, “Brexit: a critical juncture in the UK’s international relations?”, in UK in a Changing Europe:

The Brits have been uniquely incompetent in wallowing in narcissistic irrelevance ever since the Brexit vote. They’ve refused to admit that the only path forward for them is a crippling deal with the United States that will give them access to the NAFTA system but at the cost of any kind of economic sovereignty.

2023 November 23, Peter Zeihan, “Ireland Needs a New Game Plan || Peter Zeihan”, in Zeihan on Geopolitics, sourced from YouTube, 2:55–3:14:

Brussels has warned the UK that it must fully apply the existing Brexit deals on EU citizens and Northern Ireland before it will entertain a reset in the relationship with London.

2024 August 1, Lisa O'Carroll, “UK must apply existing Brexit deals before any reset in relations, says EU”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), sourced from The Guardian:

(UK politics) Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

بِرِكْزِت

withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the EU

イギリスの欧州連合離脱

イギリスのおうしゅうれんごうりだつ

خروج بریتانیا از اتحادیه اروپا

xoruj-e beritâniyâ az ettehâdiye-ye orupâ


Brexit

le Brexit dur

Le Brexit (British exit) ou sortie du Royaume-Uni de l’Union européenne paraît pratiquement inéluctable.

2014 July 17, Nicolas Baverez, “Le Brexit ou l'absurdité du siècle”, in Le Point:

Brexit (British exit), or the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, seems practically inevitable.

Début janvier, David Cameron a finalement accepté de laisser les ministres de son cabinet faire campagne en faveur du Brexit s’ils le souhaitaient, à titre privé et individuel.

2016, Danielle Auroi, Rapport d'information de la commission des affaires européennes sur les négociations de l'Union européenne avec le Royaume Uni relatives à son maintien au sein de l'Union, page 18:

At the start of January, David Cameron finally agreed to let ministers in his cabinet campaign in favour of Brexit if they wished, in a private and individual capacity.

Le Brexit, ou British Exit, était en tête avec près de 51,7% des voix après dépouillement dans 300 des 382 centres du pays, peu avant 5h, selon le décompte officiel, grâce à des résultats largement favorables dans plusieurs villes du nord de l’Angleterre et au Pays de Galles.

2016 June 24, “Résultat du référendum sur le Brexit”, in Le Huffington Post:

Brexit, or "British Exit", was ahead with nearly 51.7% of the vote after counting had finished in 300 of 382 local authorities, shortly before 5 am, according to the official count, thanks to broadly favourable results in several cities in Northern England and Wales.

Le Brexit «conduira inévitablement à des frictions» commerciales entre l’UE et le Royaume-Uni, étant donné le souhait britannique de quitter le marché unique et l’union douanière

2018, AFP agence, “Brexit: «Seul un accord de libre-échange est possible», prévient Donald Tusk”, in Le Figaro:

Brexit "will inevitably lead to friction" in trade between the EU and the UK, given Britain's desire to leave the single market and the customs union

Les tractations sur les futurs liens commerciaux entre l’UE et le Royaume-Uni n’ont pas encore démarré, les discussions s’étant jusqu’ici concentrées sur la préparation du traité scellant le Brexit, avec de lourds dossiers comme la facture du divorce, le sort des expatriés et l’avenir de la frontière irlandaise.

Negotiations on future trade links between the EU and the UK have not yet started, discussions up to now having concentrated on drafting the treaty finalising Brexit, including complicated issues such as the divorce bill, the fate of expats, and the future of the Irish border.

Reste une troisième option : l’absence d’accord. C’est le Brexit dur. La frontière serait immédiatement et totalement rétablie en mars 2019.

2018 April 28, Benoît Floc'h, “Le gouvernement prépare les douanes à un Brexit dur”, in Le Monde:

There remains a third option: the lack of an agreement. This is hard Brexit. The border would be immediately and completely re-established in March 2019.


Brexit

de-proper noun

der Brexit m (proper noun, strong, usually definite, definite genitive des Brexits or des Brexit)

der Brexit (canonical masculine)
des Brexits (definite genitive)
des Brexit (definite genitive)
Brexit (nominative singular)
Brexits (genitive singular)
Brexit (genitive singular)
Brexit (dative singular)
Brexit (accusative singular)


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)

Alternative letter-case form of brexit (“Brexit”).


Brexit

Unadapted borrowing from English Brexit.


Brexit

Con la campaña electoral británica y el giro a la derecha, por así llamarlo, de David Cameron, otro concepto se ha hecho bastante popular en los pasillos de las instituciones, el de 'Brexit'.

2015 May 25, Pablo R. Suanzes, “Brexident, más que Brexit”, in El Mundo:

Los inversores apenas han reaccionado al sondeo, el primero que otorga la victoria a los partidarios del Brexit.

2015 November 26, Roberto Casado, “El gran riesgo de 2016 para los mercados es el 'Brexit'”, in Expansión:

Hasta antes del Brexit, estas personas sí tenían libertad para laborar en territorios británicos.

2016 June 24, Carolina Enriquez, “Cinco efectos que podría generar el Brexit en Ecuador”, in El Comercio:

El acuerdo comercial no hará la relación comercial más fácil. Será más complicada. Esa es la esencia del Brexit

2018 March 7, Lucía Abellán, “La UE enfría las expectativas de May y solo ofrece un acuerdo comercial tras el Brexit”, in El Pais:

No habrá ganadores tras el Brexit. Las dos partes pierden


Butskellism

Blend of Butler + Gaitskell + -ism, after Rab Butler, the Conservative Chancellor of the Exchequer 1951–55, and his Labour predecessor Hugh Gaitskell 1950–51.

The next few weeks will show whether the Opposition will seize this chance of golden silence; or whether, in a Brown fury, it is going to throw the opportunity for constructive Butskellism away.

And then there was a sort of sensation at the door and in came Margaret Thatcher. Rab’s shell crackled and contracted a little, as he tried to look flattered by the attention of his new leader: she whose whole purpose it was to cram Butskellism as harshly as possible into the WPB of history.

1994, Christopher Hitchens, ‘On Spanking’, London Review of Books, volume 16, number 20:

Camerairism reflects a structural change more profound than Butskellism ever did.

2005 October 20, Timothy Garton Ash, The Guardian:

(UK politics, now historical) A centrist economic policy obtaining in post-war Britain, upheld by both Conservative and Labour Chancellors.


WPB

Workers Party of Britain
w:Workers Party of Britain

(UK politics) Initialism of Workers Party of Britain.


Scargillian

en-adj

Scargillian (comparative more Scargillian, superlative most Scargillian)

more Scargillian (comparative)
most Scargillian (superlative)

Of or relating to Arthur Scargill (born 1938), British politician and trade unionist.


Portilloism

Those few ministers with the good sense to doubt the certitudes of Portilloism, and still maintain some contact with reality, may even have been alarmed by its effectiveness.

I don't much care whether that creed is called socialism, bolshevism, Portilloism or Harvey's Law, I know what I stand for and am happy to defend it.

2001, Richard G, “Smith promises early action to scrap Section 28”, in uk.gay-lesbian-bi (Usenet):

(UK politics) The political stance of Michael Portillo (born 1953), former Member of Parliament, Deputy Conservative Party leader and Cabinet Minister.


Tezza

(UK politics, slang) The British politician Theresa May (born 1956), Home Secretary from 2010 to 2016 and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2016 to 2019.


Piggate

(neologism) The British scandal wherein Prime Minister David Cameron was reported to have inserted his penis into the mouth of a dead pig as part of an initiation ritual during his university years.


ERG

John Major struggled endlessly with Eurosceptics he termed “bastards”, while May’s nemesis was the European Research Group, or ERG, the longstanding alliance of Brexit ultras.

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

European Research Group
w:European Research Group

(UK politics) Initialism of European Research Group (“Eurosceptic/pro-Brexit publicly funded political activist group subdivision of the UK Conservatives”).


PMQs

Coordinate term: FMQs

For nine weeks Green sat by May’s side as serious allegations about his conduct emerged – and the Labour leader never raised a question at PMQs.

2018 July 16, Kate Maltby, Ava Etemadzadeh, “Harassment is parliament’s dirty cross-party secret. Is it about to change?”, in The Guardian:

David Davis tells Boris Johnson ‘in the name of God, go’ at chaotic PMQs [headline]

2022 January 19, Peter Walker, Rowena Mason, “David Davis tells Boris Johnson ‘in the name of God, go’ at chaotic PMQs”, in The Guardian:

Prime Minister's Questions
w:Prime Minister's Questions

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


Portillo moment

en-noun

Portillo moment (plural Portillo moments)

Originally referred to the 1997 United Kingdom general election in which Michael Portillo, a prominent Conservative representing what was thought to be a safe seat, unexpectedly lost to the Labour candidate.

But with FF seat losses by the dozen all over the country, the Portillo moments were stacked on several levels, like a good tin of biscuits.

2013, Paddy Duffy, Did That Actually Happen?: A Journey Through Unbelievable Moments in Irish Politics, Hachette UK, →ISBN:

Possibly the biggest Portillo moment north of the border, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury is also in danger of losing his seat according to the marginal polls.

2015 May 7, Sebastian Payne, “Election night: the ten ‘Portillo moments’ to watch out for”, in The Spectator:

It's the 2015 General Election's Portillo moment - but who is the Tory who's scalped shadow chancellor Ed Balls by just 422 votes?

2015 May 8, Dan Bloom, “Andrea Jenkyns ousts Ed Balls: Everything you need to know about Tory who defeated Labour giant”, in The Mirror:

(UK politics) An election loss for a prominent politician.


Corbynite

A leading KC who as a young barrister represented the Association of London Authorities at the Fennell Inquiry into the King's Cross fire, he is associated with Labour's Corbynite left.

2024 July 24, “Network News: Labour's new team at DfT packed with railway experience”, in RAIL, number 1014, page 9:

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


bedroom tax

(UK politics) A reduction in housing benefit for people who live in social housing that is deemed underoccupied.


beerage

Blend of beer + peerage, coined in the late 19th century in response to the awarding of honours to brewers.

(UK politics) The influence of the brewing industry within the British political system.


Dave Spart

Coined by Private Eye, playing on the word Spartacist (“a member of the International Communist League”).

Now every Dave Spart up the commune knows that basically, to his mind, the only, like, real theatre, man, is made by the people, you know, in the street, man, in the street.

1981, Reyner Banham, Design by Choice, London: Academy Editions:

But of course there is no shortage of people with ingenious ideas about how public money should be spent, and Ken is quite right when he warns us about a whole new generation of Dave Sparts currently working up from the grass roots

We don't get many Dave Sparts these days chopping hands, invoking the working class and using the word "total" twice in every sentence.

Like McGuinness, Wark's Left is populated by a cast of grotesques; of Dave Sparts who sleep with copies of Trotsky's Literature and Revolution tucked under their pillows.


one-nation conservatism

Refers to the fact that all classes are part of the same nation.

All this links Johnson firmly with his predecessors – Margaret Thatcher, John Major, David Cameron and Theresa May. So does (with Thatcher as the exception that proves the rule) his eagerness – on full display in his remarks in Downing Street on Friday – to employ that emptiest of empty signifiers, “one-nation Conservatism”.

[2019 December 14, Tim Bale, “The real Boris Johnson: one-nation Tory or raging populist?”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

(UK politics) A pragmatic paternalistic form of conservatism, conscious of working-class issues.


one-nation conservative

one-nation conservative (plural one-nation conservatives)

one-nation conservatism
one-nation conservatism

(UK politics) A follower of one-nation conservatism.


Bremain

Blend of Britain + remain, by analogy with Brexit.

"We want Britain to remain in the EU. We want not "Brexit" but "Bremain"."

2015 June 22, David Milliken, “U.S. and EU face 'heavy lift' to get trade deal: EU ambassador”, in Reuters:

Like the old Tory trouper Michael Heseltine, I think we can rule out him leading the “Outers.” For Brexit, read Bremain.

2015 October 8, Paul Routledge, “Europe referendum is the big political issue – but where do the parties stand?”, in The Mirror:

Brexit or Bremain? That is the question British voters may have to answer in just five months’ time on 23 June, if David Cameron’s renegotiation ends with a deal at the EU summit in February.

2016 February 21, Timothy Garton Ash, “Whether Brexit or Bremain, fear will triumph over fear”, in The Guardian:

But today the disconnect was heightened further as London's army of Bremain-backing resident called on the city's new mayor Sadiq Khan, to declare Greater London and its nine million population an independent state.

2016 June 25, Jon Austin, “Could London become an EU state? Calls for independence after capital votes to Bremain”, in Express:

(UK politics) The fact of the United Kingdom remaining in the European Union.


BoJo

(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.