divorce bill

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


post-Brexit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


APNI

Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland#English

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


Johnsonite

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

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

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


dullahan

From Irish dulachán, from dubh (“black”) + another word (compare lucharachán (“elf, dwarf”)), possibly originally a term for a dark or sullen person (compare the surname Dullahan) and only subsequently applied to the spirit.

The dullahans always came in a mist. But Devin wasn't afraid of dullahans. If he saw one, he would club it over the head. But then Devin remembered that dullahans didn't have heads. He grasped his stick a little tighter in his hand, […]

1990, Elona Malterre, The Last Wolf of Ireland, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 3:

“A dullahan,” both Phelan and Coriel whispered. Coriel looked her square in the eye, “You did remember the gold, right?” ML blushed, “No, I didn't. I was so scared I just started running.” “Then how did you escape?” “My pocket tore on a bush. […] “You're lucky you're not dead anyway. The dullahan could have stopped or spoken your name, or both.”

2008, Jessica Borchardt, A Fairy Yarn, →ISBN, page 53:

There is no way to bar the road against a dullahan. All locks and gates open on their own when it approaches. Dullahans do not appreciate being watched while on their errands, throwing a basin of blood on those who dare to do so […]

2014, Tony Locke, Mayo Folk Tales, The History Press, →ISBN:

But the values of a fairy manifested into physical form in this city—a dullahan.” Celty Sturluson was not a human being. Celty was a type of fairy known as a dullahan that appeared to those close to death, signaling their impending demise.

2015, Ryohgo Narita, Durarara, volume 1, Yen Press LLC, →ISBN:

Because she is a dullahan, her head is not connected to her body—it's held in place by her gear.

2017, Kugane Maruyama, Satoshi Oshio, Overlord, volume 4, Yen Press LLC, →ISBN:

(fantasy, Irish mythology) A black-clad (usually male) horserider in Irish folklore which carries its severed head like a lantern and may be repelled by gold; when it stops riding (or calls out someone's name), someone will die. (Also called the Gan Ceann, Irish for "[one] without a head".)


Wee Free

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


Ponsonby Rule

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

named-after

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


Black Act

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


Closing Opposition

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


No 10

Coordinate term: No 11

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

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

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

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

10 Downing Street
10 Downing Street#English

(UK politics) Synonym of 10 Downing Street.


Borisian

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

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

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


Toryshire

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

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


Brexocalypse

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

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

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

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

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

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


Maggie's den

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

(bingo) A traditional call for the number ten.


Winter of Discontent

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

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

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

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


law agent

(Scots law) A solicitor, certified by the Law Society of Scotland.


Singapore-on-Thames

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

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

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

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

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


CofE

Church of England
Church of England#English

Abbreviation of Church of England; also C of E.


McChurch

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

From Mc- + church. Usage dates back to at least the early 1990s.

(slang, derogatory, specifically) A megachurch.


Fine Gaeler

A member or supporter of the Fine Gael political party.


Faragism

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

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


cakeist

en-adj

cakeist (comparative more cakeist, superlative most cakeist)

more cakeist (comparative)
most cakeist (superlative)

Some said the proposed Brexit deal was cakeist.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Butskellian

Butskellian (comparative more Butskellian, superlative most Butskellian)

more Butskellian (comparative)
most Butskellian (superlative)

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


Quad

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


PNQ

private notice question
private notice question#English

(UK politics) Initialism of private notice question.


private notice question

en-noun

private notice question (plural private notice questions)

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


reasoned amendment

reasoned amendment (plural reasoned amendments)

Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament

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


Foreign Office

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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


Foreign and Commonwealth Office

the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (canonical)

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


Foreign Secretary

Foreign Secretary (plural Foreign Secretaries)

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

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

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


en-proper noun

the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

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

bureau des Affaires étrangères et du Commonwealth

Ufficio degli esteri, del Commonwealth e dello sviluppo

Ministerstvo inostrannyx del i meždunarodnovo razvitija Velikobritanii

Министерство иностранных дел и международного развития Великобритании

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y de la Mancomunidad de Naciones


SpAd

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


Church-of-Englandism

The religious practices and customs of the Church of England.


Firbolg

(Irish mythology) The fourth group of people to settle in Ireland, descended from the Muintir Nemid, an earlier group who abandoned Ireland and went to different parts of Europe.


Abbreviation of second independence referendum.

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

Proposed second Scottish independence referendum


Norway-plus

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

European Economic Area
European Economic Area

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


Cantre'r Gwaelod

Holonym: Cardigan Bay

A mythical sunken city in Wales, United Kingdom.


eidgah

From Persian عیدگاه (“place of Eid prayers”). See also English dargah.

(Islam, South Asia) An open-air enclosure used for Eid prayers on certain special occasions.


Awkward Bench

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

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

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

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

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


below the gangway

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


Elatha

(Irish mythology) A king of the Fomorians and the father of Bres by Ériu of the Tuatha Dé Danann, as well as Delbaeth, Ogma, Elloth (grandfather of Manannán mac Lir), and the Dagda by an unnamed mother.


Bozza

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


red wall

Coined by pollster James Kanagasooriam in August 2019.

coin

Coordinate term: blue wall

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

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

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


fringe church

Millions of people attend fringe church affiliated worship services each day.

More important, Westrom argues, the fringe church should turn its reins of leadership over to the newcomers, who would bring "fresh ideas" and "add to the vitality of the program of the church."

2003, Etan Diamond, Souls of the City: Religion and the Search for Community in Postwar America, Indiana University Press, page 83:

Never before in the history of Christianity has there been such a complete move to orthodox Christianity by an unorthodox fringe church.

2003, J. Michael Feazell, The Liberation of the Worldwide Church of God: The Remarkable Story of a Cult's Journey from Deception to Truth, Zondervan, page 2:

Experts estimate there are 2 million South Koreans who are followers of fringe churches, but the exact figures are unknown.

2021, VICE Asia, “Why It's So Hard to Leave a South Korean Fringe Church”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name):

(derogatory) A Christian denomination espousing doctrines or worship customs rejected by the majority of Christians.

Congregants drove to attend services at a fringe church on Sunday morning.

Although one might have thought that the prospect of new suburbanites offered "nothing but pure and golden opportunity," the typical rural-fringe church "simply fails to notice what is happening."

2003, Etan Diamond, Souls of the City: Religion and the Search for Community in Postwar America, Indiana University Press, page 81:

The man was pastor of some lunatic-fringe church.

2004, Jack W. Payne, Six Hours Past Thursday, Impact Books, page 312:

Ponsonby Baptist is a small-city fringe church, with sixty to seventy people in attendance each Sunday.

2017, John Tucker, Text Messages: Preaching God's Word in a Smartphone World, Wipf & Stock Publishers, page 149:

(derogatory) A place of worship affiliated with this type of religious denomination.


max fac

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


regrexiteer

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


pre-Brexit

(European politics) Referring to the time before Brexit.


New Right

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

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

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

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


Partygate

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

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

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


Toriel

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


Scots law

(formal) The legal system of Scotland, a hybrid of civil law and common law.


agé

en-verb

agé (third-person singular simple present agés, present participle agéing, simple past and past participle agéed)

agés (present singular third-person)
agéing (participle present)
agéed (participle past)
agéed (past)

Probably from Latin age, imperative of Latin agere.

(Scots law) To act for another (as a law agent or solicitor).


GPEW

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

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


pals battalion

From pals + battalion, from the sense that one's pals would fight along with them.

(UK, military, historical) A group of men who were friends before being enlisted, all of whom were placed into a single battalion in order to incentivize enlistment in the British Army during World War I.


kenesa

Borrowed from Karaim כְּנִיסָא (kǝnîsāʾ), from Aramaic כְּנִישָׁא (kənīšā, “gathering”), likely via Arabic كَنِيسَة (kanīsa, “church, synagogue”).

der

An Eastern European or Persian Karaite synagogue.


Plaid Cymru

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


colpindach

(Scots law, obsolete) A two-year-old heifer.


Tailte

(Irish mythology) Alternative form of Tailtiu


hanger and flogger

en-noun

hanger and flogger (plural hangers and floggers)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Beergate

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

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


Ken and Eddie Show

Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer

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


takyeh

Borrowed from Iranian Persian تکیه (takye). Doublet of takya, takiyya, and tekke.

bor+

Here I was informed that the Kedkhudá (chief man of the village), apprised by the muleteer of my arrival, had assigned quarters to me in the takyé consecrated to the Muḥarram passion-plays.

1893, Edward G. Browne, A Year amongst the Persians, page 250:

Another communication centre for the Muslims and members of the community is the takyeh, of which there are hundreds in Tehran and other provinces.

1995, National Development and Security, page 116:

This Maidan and the Takyeh, once considered as the entrance portal of the old Bazar of Yazd, belong to the late part of the 9th century A.H. (15th cent. A.D.), and have been founded in 830 (1426 A.D.), when Masjid-i Mir Chakhmaq was also under construction.

1974, Nosratollah Meshkati, A List of the Historical Sites and Ancient Monuments of Iran, page 72:

(Shia Islam, Iran) Synonym of husayniyya; alternative form of takya


takya

The presence of the Hindiler Tekkesi or the Indian takya in Istanbul since the time of Tipu's mission is another indication but it was not until the 1840s that the position of the Indian Muslims with regard to the Ottoman caliphate was fully crystallized.

1999, M. Naeem Qureshi, Pan-Islam in British Indian Politics, page 16:

The younger shaykh, Baba Musafir, turned to the task of establishing a takya or khanqah at Awrangabad

A gathering place for Sufis, especially in the Ottoman Empire and South Asia.


SRA

en-noun

SRA (countable and uncountable, plural SRAs)

(UK politics) Initialism of special responsibility allowance.


NEH

The New English Hymnal
w:The New English Hymnal

(Church of England) Initialism of The New English Hymnal.


Carriegate

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

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

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


Wallpapergate

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


Pinchergate

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


big society

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

coin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Brexitland

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

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


Torydom

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


S.S.I.

Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 2010, S.S.I. 2010/195 (C. 10)

statutory instrument
statutory instrument#English

(Scots law, chiefly in citation) Initialism of Scottish statutory instrument.


Official Monster Raving Loony Party

the Official Monster Raving Loony Party (canonical)

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


fear gortha

From Irish [Term?] (literally “man of hunger/famine”).

bor

(Irish mythology) A phantom of hunger, resembling an emaciated man.


Trussian

en-adj

Trussian (comparative more Trussian, superlative most Trussian)

more Trussian (comparative)
most Trussian (superlative)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Mayite

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

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

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


Mayite

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

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

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


Trussite

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

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

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


No 11

Coordinate term: No 10

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

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

11 Downing Street
11 Downing Street#English

(UK politics) Synonym of 11 Downing Street.


OBR

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

Office for Budget Responsibility
w:Office for Budget Responsibility

(UK politics) Initialism of Office for Budget Responsibility.


Lir

(Irish mythology) A personification of the sea in Irish mythology.


Trussonomics

For quotations using this term, see Citations:Trussonomics.

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


ministerial code

en-noun

ministerial code (usually uncountable, plural ministerial codes)

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

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


Singapore-on-the-Thames

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


Sunakism

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

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

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

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

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


Sunakite

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

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

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


Sunakite

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

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

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


Brexitish

en-adj

Brexitish (comparative more Brexitish, superlative most Brexitish)

more Brexitish (comparative)
most Brexitish (superlative)

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

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

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


Brexitism

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

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

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

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

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

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

The political and economic philosophies associated with Brexit.


Clarent

Coordinate term: Excalibur

Sword in the Stone
Sword in the Stone#English

(Arthurian legend) A sword, the Sword in the Stone


committee rooms

en-noun

committee rooms pl (normally plural, singular committee room)

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

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

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

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

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

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

COMMITTEE ROOMS:
1915 Osler Street

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

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

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

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


e-envoy

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

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

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


prout de jure

(Scots law, archaic) Of a court case, allowing all evidence.


FMQs

Coordinate term: PMQs

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

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


Adventus Saxonum

Borrowed from Latin adventus Saxōnum (“arrival of the Saxons”).

bor+

If the ‘Adventus Saxonum’ is placed within ten years of the middle of the fifth century, it can hardly be far wrong; […]

1936, R. G. Collingwood, J. N. L. Myres, Roman Britain and the English Settlements, →ISBN, page 356:

Anglo-Saxon demography and the adventus Saxonum begin with the fifth century.

1996, Michael E. Jones, The End of Roman Britain, →ISBN, page 36:

The non-survival of Celtic place-names from the period before the Adventus Saxonum presents a perennial problem for students of Anglo-Saxon England.

2004, Carole Hough, “The (Non?)-Survival of Romano-British Toponymy”, in Neuphilologische Mitteilungen, volume 105, number 1, →JSTOR, page 25:

The history of the Adventus Saxonum is a fascinating one. The stories that were told in the Middle Ages about ‘the Arrival of the Saxons’ on the island of Britain, and the influence of those stories on later audiences, reveal a lot about notions of collective identity.

2022 October 5, Joanna Story, “Revisiting the Adventus Saxonum, again: exploring the implications of new evidence”, in The Past:

(historical) The arrival en masse of Germanic settlers or invaders in Britain in the 5th–6th centuries CE.


Bregret

en-noun

Bregret (countable and uncountable, plural Bregrets)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Govian

en-adj

Govian (comparative more Govian, superlative most Govian)

more Govian (comparative)
most Govian (superlative)

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

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

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


Scexit

Blend of Scotland + exit, by analogy with Brexit.

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

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

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


order paper

(Commonwealth) the daily agenda of a Westminster system legislature


Corporation

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

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

City of London Corporation
City of London Corporation#English

(UK politics) Ellipsis of City of London Corporation.


Sunakian

Sunakian (comparative more Sunakian, superlative most Sunakian)

more Sunakian (comparative)
most Sunakian (superlative)

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

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

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

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

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


Portillista

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

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

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


Cobra

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

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

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

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

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of COBRA


Orkxit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


securonomics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

supply-side economics
supply-side economics

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


Young Englander

en-noun

Young Englander (plural Young Englanders)

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

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

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


corn law

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


testamenti factio

From Latin testāmentī factiō (“right of participating in a will”).

bor

(Scots law) The legal capacity to make a will (under Scots law, anyone may be a beneficiary under a testator’s settlement).


Marprelate

(often attributive) A pseudonym used in the later 16th century by a satirist, or group of satirists, who attacked the Anglican episcopacy.


vicious intromission

en-noun

vicious intromission (countable and uncountable, plural vicious intromissions)

(Scots law) The unauthorized assumption of ownership, or other interference with the rights of an estate.


One Nation

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


DAERA

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

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

w:Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

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


Sturgeonite

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

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

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


one nationer

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

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

one-nation conservative
one-nation conservative#English

(UK politics) Synonym of one-nation conservative


one nation

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

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

one-nation conservatism
one-nation conservatism#English

(UK politics) Ellipsis of one-nation conservatism.


CRG

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

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

COVID Recovery Group
w:COVID Recovery Group

(UK politics) Initialism of COVID Recovery Group.


Ethelred

/ˈɛθ.əlˌɹɛd/

Learned borrowing from Old English Æþelrǣd, Æþelred, Æðelred, from æþele (“noble”) + rǣd (“counsel, advice”).

af

A male given name from Old English Æþelræd (“noble counsel, well-advised”), variant of Aethelred or Æthelred

A male given name of historical usage, notably borne by Ethelred I, King of Wessex between 865 and his death in 871

A male given name of historical usage, notably borne by Ethelred II “the Unready”, King of the English between 978 and his death in 1016


Aethelred

/ˈæθ.əlˌɹɛd/

Learned borrowing from Old English Æþelræd, Æðelred, from æþele (“noble”) + rǣd (“counsel, advice”).

lbor

A male given name from Old English Æþelræd (“noble counsel, well-advised”), variant of Ethelred or Æthelred

A male given name of historical usage, notably borne by Aethelred I, King of Wessex between 865 and his death in 871

A male given name of historical usage, notably borne by Aethelred II “the Unready”, King of the English between 978 and his death in 1016


SETF

Social Exclusion Task Force
w:Social Exclusion Task Force

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


sixpenny bit

(historical) Former (pre-decimalisation) British and Irish coins worth six old pennies.


DSIT

w:Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

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


Borisism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


husayniyya

Borrowed from Arabic حُسَيْنِيَّة f (ḥusayniyya).

bor

حُسَيْنِيَّة

A building where Shia Muslims gather to mourn the death of Husayn ibn Ali in the month of Muharram.


Sunakonomics

But this latest Sunakonomics rescue is a sticking-plaster on a bullethole.

2020 September 25, “The Sun says: A new lifeline”, in The Sun, London, archived from the original on 2020-09-25, page 10:

Advanced students can take classes in Sunakonomics, which supersedes traditional economics in favour of a novel theory allowing Professor Rishi to buy the premiership with voters’ money.

2020 October 14, Paul Routledge, “Keep calm… We can beat this: Crash course in art of emulating PM’s grade-A twerps”, in Daily Mirror, London, page 15:

2021 March 11, David Runciman, “Sunakonomics”, in Catherine Carr, director, Talking Politics, episode 310, archived from the original on 2022-10-25

In the era of Sunakonomics, our hedge fund veteran-turned chancellor owes a lot to the work of John Maynard Keynes, but then again we all do.

2021 November 26, Ollie Smith, “Keynes Goes Shopping: 10 Things We Learned This Week”, in Morningstar, archived from the original on 2021-11-27:

One of the more interesting aspects of the battle between Trussonomics and Sunakonomics has been the debate over the Monetary Policy Committee’s efforts to control inflation.

2022 July 26, William Atkinson, “Is it time to look again at the Bank of England’s independence?”, in CapX, archived from the original on 2022-07-26:

Next door in Number 11, though, there was a degree of ideology at the heart of Sunakonomics.

2022 August 18, “Standing up for the city: Desperate need for growth writ large in UK’s interest payments”, in City A.M., London, archived from the original on 2022-08-18, page 2:

Sunakonomics / Sunak's time as chancellor was marred by the pandemic.

2022 October 30, Ryan Hogg, Beatrice Nolan, “Rishi Sunak is worth almost $850 million, making him Britain's richest prime minister. Here's why that could be a big problem.”, in Business Insider, New York, N.Y., archived from the original on 2022-10-30:

The multiple tailwinds of a successful Refinitiv acquisition, rising high margin services, and economic outlook under Sunakonomics all allow LSEG to have slight advantages over peers, especially European ones such as the Deutsche Borse (OTCPK:DBOEY).

2022 December 1, “London Stock Exchange Group: Positive Sentiment At Early Stages Of 'Sunakonomics'”, in Seeking Alpha, archived from the original on 2022-12-01:

2024 March 1, Roy C. Perez, Rishi Sunak: Sunakonomics: Decoding the Economic Philosophy of Rishi Sunak - A Comprehensive Analysis of the Chancellor's Fiscal Vision, →ISBN

(UK politics) The economic ideas and policies of Rishi Sunak (born 1980), British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from October 2022 to July 2024.


spare room subsidy

en-noun

spare room subsidy (plural spare room subsidies)

Great stuff from @harryph on why cutting the taxpayer-funded spare room subsidy is the right thing to do

2013 February 7, @alexwickham, Twitter, archived from the original on 2024-07-18:


retourable

(Scots law, historical, of a brieve) Which must be returned to chancery, along with a schedule of action taken.


LRU

London Reform Union
w:London Reform Union

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of London Reform Union.


special defence

special defence (plural special defences)

(Scots law) Any of various defences (such as mental disorder or coercion) that may be raised in criminal proceedings upon notice by the accused ahead of the trial, and which if established will result in an acquittal.


Small Party of Good Boys

the Small Party of Good Boys (canonical)

Has anything the Small Party of Good Boys said not been embarrassing?

2018 December 20, naijeieoas, Twitter, archived from the original on 2023-02-11:

(UK politics, humorous, derogatory) The Socialist Party of Great Britain.


Wars of the Roses

the Wars of the Roses (canonical plural)

After the symbols of the two sides: the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York

(historical) A civil war that lasted from 1455 to 1487, fought between the English houses of Lancaster and York and allies in France, Burgundy and Scotland.


act of sederunt

act of sederunt (plural acts of sederunt)

secondary legislation
secondary legislation

(Scots law) A set of rules of court governing civil procedure made as secondary legislation by the Court of Session.


Act of Sederunt

Act of Sederunt (plural Acts of Sederunt)

(Scots law, formal) Alternative letter-case form of act of sederunt


team ministry

(Church of England) A ministry which administers multiple parishes.


act of adjournal

act of adjournal (plural acts of adjournal)

(Scots law) A set of rules of court governing criminal procedure made as secondary legislation by the High Court of Justiciary.


Act of Adjournal

Act of Adjournal (plural Acts of Adjournal)

act of adjournal
act of adjournal#English

(Scots law, formal) Alternative letter-case form of act of adjournal


hostile environment

As Liberty (2018: 5) have argued: 'The hostile environment is a sprawling web of immigration controls embedded in the heart of our public services and communities.'

2020 July 8, Rees, James, Pomati, Marco, Social Policy Review 32: Analysis and Debate in Social Policy, 2020, Policy Press, →ISBN, page 51:

Among the targets of the hostile environment policy (it was later used euphemised as the 'compliant environment' policy) were those who became, through no fault of their own, entangled in what became known as the Windrush scandal.

2024 January 18, Paul Warmington, Permanent Racism: Race, Class and the Myth of Postracial Britain, Policy Press, →ISBN, page 130:

(UK politics) An immigration policy in which service providers such as doctors, landlords and banks must perform ID checks to verify that potential clients have legal right to remain.


Starmerian

en-adj

Starmerian (comparative more Starmerian, superlative most Starmerian)

more Starmerian (comparative)
most Starmerian (superlative)

Mashed alongside these faux-mateyisms, were classically clumsy Starmerian metaphors. He spoke of “reservoirs of confidence”, “bonds of hope” between state and individual, “the well of disrespect”.

2023 July 6, Madeline Grant, “Keir Starmer’s speech is interrupted by protesters - hurrah for some excitement!”, in The Telegraph:

I’d be the first to admit that at least some elements of that agenda are self-contradictory, and the faint whiff of freshly baked cakeism is caught by one’s nostrils when surveying this Starmerian vision of Britain in the year 2034.

2024 January 4, Sean O’Grady, “Will 2024 be the year of ‘Starmer the radical’?”, in The Independent:

Labour’s retort was a very passive, Starmerian picture of their leader in neutral white T-shirt to watch the first England-Serbia fixture, lest he rock the incumbent Scottish vote.

2024 June 21, Paul Flynn, “Only Sadiq Khan would be truly welcome at Pride — other politicians have lost their right”, in Evening Standard:

(UK politics) Of or pertaining to Keir Starmer (born 1962), British Labour politician and Prime Minister since 2024.


Liebour

Liebour

2020 April 26, Friedmanite19, “Same old Liebour”, in Reddit, archived from the original on 2024-08-06:

Liebour

2022 July 10, WillSing4Scurvy, “Liebour”, in Reddit, archived from the original on 2024-08-06:

(UK politics, New Zealand politics, Internet slang, derogatory) The Labour Party (with an implication that its leadership are liars).


Starmergeddon

From Starmer + -geddon, after Keir Starmer (Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2024).

person

It would be a huge mistake. In the last debate Rishi [Sunak] showed what he can do, and on any fair reading he won. It is by no means too late to tilt the steering wheel in the direction of common sense, avert Starmergeddon, and prevent this country from going in completely the wrong direction.

2024 June 28, Boris Johnson, “The nation doesn't really want Sir Keir or his tax-hiking, EU-loving, soft-on-illegal-migration agenda. There's still time for us to swerve from the cliff edge of Starmergeddon”, in Daily Mail, London: DMG Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-06-28:

Britain echoes this. In pounds, the FTSE All-Share rose in 15 of 17 US election year second-halves following first-half gains. We got your back, Union Jack. ¶ So, don't stress "Starmergeddon". Instead: think perverse, buy inverse. Buy now.

2024 July 7, Ken Fisher, “Don’t stress Starmergeddon – Labour will usher in a market rise”, in Chris Evans, editor, The Daily Telegraph, London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-08-21:

Well, we're all still here. According to most of the rightwing press, we were in for "Starmergeddon". Plague, floods and earthquakes would only be the start. Famine would be along shortly thereafter.

2024 July 12, John Crace, “Relax, Starmergeddon hasn't happened. The grownups are in charge”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-07-15:

United Kingdom
United Kingdom#Proper noun

(UK politics, neologism) A supposed disaster predicted to take place after the 2024 election of Labour Party leader Keir Starmer as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.


Starmerite

“This new research finds the public prefers a more Starmerite approach to immigration – built on control, competence and compassion – to the storm and fury of (Reform UK leader Nigel) Farage.

2024 July 14, Sunder Katwala, quotee, “Public approves of ‘Starmerite’ approach to immigration, poll suggests”, in The Standard, London, archived from the original on 2024-07-15:

(UK politics) A supporter of Keir Starmer, British prime minister since 2024.


Labourish

en-adj

Labourish (comparative more Labourish, superlative most Labourish)

more Labourish (comparative)
most Labourish (superlative)

He has good cards to play on making Brussels better and slimming the continent's heavyweight welfare states. Both can, not implausibly, be given a New Labourish colouring, though Mr Blair's lectures can sound insufferably Pecksniffian.

2000 February 24, “Tony Blair takes his time”, in The Guardian:

(UK politics) Of or related to the Labour party.


Commonwealth of England

(historical) The British state when Great Britain and Ireland were a republic prior to rule by Oliver Cromwell.

Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland


Tory Democracy

(UK politics) Synonym of one-nation conservatism


Milifan

(colloquial, UK politics) A member of the Milifandom.


kapishche

From Russian ка́пище (kápišče), and from Old East Slavic капище (kapišče).

(religion, paganism) A shrine or small temple used in Slavic neopaganism.