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LONDON — What’s in a phrase?
Seems, fairly a bit. Westminster’s most interesting politicos discovered themselves frantically Googling this yr as they tried to get their heads round an entire bunch of phrases that they had by no means heard earlier than. No, not “integrity,” “honesty” and “compassion” — however a bunch of strange constructions that might have appeared completely alien 12 months in the past.
POLITICO rounded up the very best of them, as a deal with. Parental advisory: Swearing is huge, intelligent and funky.
De-banking
Pronunciation information: diː-ˈbæŋkɪŋ
Definition: The closure of an account by banks who understand the holder to pose a monetary, authorized, regulatory, or reputational threat to the financial institution. Or all 4, in Nigel Farage’s case.
Context: The previous Brexit Celebration chief discovered himself in an enormous combat with Coutts when the luxurious financial institution canceled his account after discussing his controversial public profile in a non-public assembly. It helped hold him within the highlight he loves.
Options: de-risking, un-banking, de-Nigel-ing.
ULEZ
Pronunciation information: ˈjuːlɛz
Definition: An Extremely Low Emission Zone. A brand new environmental highway tax that enrages some drivers, splits Labour and apparently wins (some) by-elections.
Context: The growth of London’s ULEZ earlier this yr was met with a seething public backlash towards town’s Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan — and prompted tremors that are nonetheless impacting U.Okay. nationwide politics.
Options: LEZ, clear air zone, New World Order.
Branchform
Pronunciation information: brɑːnʧ fɔːm
Definition: The official Police Scotland title for the investigation into allegations of fundraising fraud within the Scottish Nationwide Celebration. To not be confused with the non-existent Operation Branchfoot, which Scottish journalists usually mistakenly confer with for some cause.
Context: The investigation into the SNP has run for 2 years, and resulted within the arrests of Nicola Sturgeon, her husband Peter Murrell and the get together’s former Treasurer Colin Beattie. No costs have been introduced up to now.
Options: SNP probe, blue tent, Nat-mare.
Motorhome
Pronunciation information: ˈməʊtəhəʊm
Definition: A motorized vehicle geared up like a caravan for dwelling in, or leaving uninsured exterior your dad and mom’ home.
Context: Scotland’s Sunday newspapers revealed earlier this yr that cops investigating Operation Branchform — see above — seized a luxurious motorhome from exterior the home of former SNP chief Peter Murrell’s 92-year-old mom. Nobody within the get together appears to know why it was bought.
Options: Campervan, RV, SNP-mobile.
Kenough
Pronunciation information: keɪ ɪˈnʌf
Definition: A time period utilized by actual grownup males to indicate that, just like the Barbie film character Seaside Ken, they settle for themselves for who they’re.
Context: After working Britain’s well being service within the pandemic after which munching camel penis within the Australian jungle final yr, Matt Hancock tried to indicate this yr that he’s Kenough in the one manner he is aware of how: a cringe TikTok video.
Don’t confuse with: I’m Simply Ken.
Oracy
Pronunciation information: ˈɔːrəsi
Definition: The power to precise oneself fluently and grammatically in speech, significantly when working to grow to be U.Okay. prime minister.
Context: Labour Chief Keir Starmer sparked a mass-googling of “oracy” in the summertime, when he unveiled his plans for colleges to show talking expertise to assist in giving working class youngsters a greater shot. Extremely-posh journalists and aides who assume the Oxford Union debating society is A Very Regular Expertise puzzled why that may be wanted.
Options: eloquence; wonkish Starmerism; policy-that-doesn’t-bother-the-Rachel-Reeves-spreadsheet.
Jeweled Sword of Providing
Pronunciation information: ʤuːəld sɔːd ɒv ˈɒfərɪŋ
Definition: Symbolic decoration used through the coronation ceremony for the U.Okay. sovereign. Additionally utilized by bold politicians taking the possibility to extend their public profile.
Context: Commons Chief Penny Mordaunt shone throughout King Charles III’s coronation earlier this yr, drawing on her army drill expertise to hold the large and heavy Sword of State through the ceremony with ease. What do you imply Britain is a mad nation?!
Options: Hefty blade; costly tat; Penny’s pointer.
RAAC
Pronunciation information: ræk
Definition: A light-weight, bubbly type of concrete generally utilized in building between the Fifties and mid-Nineteen Nineties as a less expensive various to straightforward concrete. Much less sturdy — that means a number of colleges fitted with it needed to shut this summer time as a consequence of … the chance of collapse.
Context: The already under-pressure U.Okay. authorities confronted criticism for its dealing with of the state of affairs as colleges began closing. In authorities for 13 years, the Conservatives have been accused of not bothering to take care of the disaster swiftly sufficient.
Options: Strengthened autoclaved aerated concrete; ol’ crumbly; Keegan’s regret.
Refoulement
Pronunciation information:ˌriːfuːˈleɪmənt
Definition: The forcible return of refugees or asylum seekers to a rustic the place they’re liable to be subjected to persecution.
Context: That nation was Rwanda, within the U.Okay. Supreme Courtroom’s judgment on Rishi Sunak’s troubled plan to ship asylum seekers to the East African nation. Jack-of-all-trades information reporters insisted they completely understood complicated authorized rulings … whereas clicking on the Wikipedia web page for refoulement simply to make sure.
Options: Annoying technicality; don’t-worry-we’ll-just-make-a-new-law.
Hallucinate
Pronunciation information: həˈl(j)uːsɪneɪt
Definition: When a synthetic intelligence hallucinates, it produces false data. Like a authorities press workplace however cooler.
Context: The phrase has grow to be extra outstanding as Britain, with tech bro-in-chief Rishi Sunak on the helm, grapples with AI and its limitations.
Options: Scary new tech; killer robots; the sensation skilled whereas watching the U.Okay.’s COVID-19 inquiry.
Fuckpigs
Pronunciation information: fʌk pɪɡz
Definition: A VERY impolite U.Okay. insult, usually referring to Cupboard ministers Dominic Cummings doesn’t approve of.
Context: It seems Cummings — previously the federal government’s most senior adviser — despatched texts on the peak of the coronavirus pandemic that described senior ministers of the crown as “ineffective fuckpigs.” All the opposite proof to the inquiry was completely and fully regular.
Options: Everybody besides genius Dom Cummings.
