London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

How nicknames invaded British politics

How nicknames invaded British politics

"He's Mr 24 tax rises!" Sir Keir Starmer's latest zinger at Prime Minister's Questions is unlikely to be added to the list of great political insults.
But it was part of a trend. Last week, Rishi Sunak dubbed his Labour opponent "Sir Softie". Which without the context - an attack on Sir Keir's crime-busting credentials - sounds like a not-very-threatening ice cream man.

Both men have got a lot of work to do on their nickname game, according to author and political commentator Andrew Gimson.

"They are both quite professional. Neither of them are natural name callers and that is one reason why it doesn't come out with any conviction."

Boris Johnson was better at it, he says. The former prime minister liked to taunt Sir Keir as "Captain Hindsight", which later evolved, if that's the right word, into the more ornate Captain Crasheroonie Snoozefest.

Many will argue that puerile name calling and personal abuse have no place in politics. They will point to Donald Trump, who built an entire political brand on nicknames and insults ("Trump was good at it," notes Andrew Gimson).

But, argues author and former Labour adviser Ayesha Hazarika, we should not be too squeamish or high-minded about political insults.

When they are done well, they can be a powerful way of distilling, or "framing", a complicated and nuanced message - a useful "shortcut" to the public's brain, with the added advantage of making your opponent look ridiculous, she says.

But she adds: "They only work if they are snappy, memorable and have a ring of truth."

There is a long tradition of insults in British politics.

Older readers may remember Labour bruiser Denis Healey describing an attack by a mild-mannered Tory opponent as like being "savaged by a dead sheep".

Then there was equally mild-mannered Sir Vince Cable getting big laughs at Gordon Brown's expense with this line: "The House has noticed the prime minister's remarkable transformation in the past few weeks - from Stalin to Mr Bean."

More recently, nicknames - which can easily be turned into social media hashtags and memes - have been all the rage, as opposed to more elegantly phrased takedowns.

Suella Braverman was dubbed "Leaky Sue" by Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey. Tory co-chairman Lee Anderson got the nickname "30p Lee" on social media after making controversial comments about food banks. And so it goes on.

Rishi Sunak cribbed "Sir Softie" from a headline in The Sun and it got a bit of pick up on Tory social media.

Ayesha Hazarika - who in a former life spent time dreaming up jibes as part of the team preparing then Labour leader Ed Miliband for PMQs - does not think it will catch on.

"I cannot tell you how ridiculous that was. It is so childish, it's the kind of stuff your toddler would say to you. It wasn't clever and it wasn't sharp."

But she adds: "I think both sides are really struggling with it at the moment. You have got to be prepared to be quite rude, which is fine, but it's also got to work."

Social media consultant Matt Navarra says there is "nothing new" about politicians using "divisive" language to generate social media attention, particularly on Twitter.

But, he warns, the mood may be changing. Government ministers, who are currently passing legislation to clamp down on online abuse, should be particularly careful in their use of language, or risk becoming a target themselves.

"It only takes one wrong turn of phrase, or for people to misconstrue what you have said," warns Mr Navarra, who would no doubt be dubbed Captain Cautious, if he was a member of the House of Commons.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×