United Kingdom Vocabulary

Nigel Farage

Outspoken leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) until 2016 and member of the European Parliament.

Theresa May

Leader of the Conservatives in the United Kingdom; was the prime minister and head of government since 2016 to 2019.

David Cameron

Conservative prime minister of the United Kingdom from 2010' to 2016; resigned following the Brexit referendum, which he campaigned against.

Margaret Thatcher

Conservative prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990.

Jeremy Corbyn

Leader of the opposition Labour Party in the United Kingdom beginning in 2015.

Tony Blair

Labour prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007.

Boris Johnson

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2019 to 2022 who was a member of the Conservative party.

Keir Starmer

Current Prime Minister of the UK; member of the Labour Party.

Cabinet

The appointed officials who serve the executive in overseeing the various state bureaucracies. 

Collective Responsibility

In the United Kingdom, tradition requires all members of the cabinet either to support government policy or to resign.

Collective Consensus

Postwar consensus between the United Kingdom’s major parties to build and sustain a welfare state.

Brexit

British exit from the European Union realized in a 2016 referendum. 

Common Law

In the United Kingdom, a legal system based on custom and precedent rather than formal legal codes.

Celtic Fringe

In the United Kingdom, refers to Scotland and Wales, which were not conquered by the Angles and Saxons.

Conservatives (Tories)

One of the United Kingdom’s two largest parties; in power since 2010. Those with a political attitude that is skeptical of change and supports the current order political attitudes.

CBI

The United Kingdom’s most important group representing the private sector.

English Civil War

17th-century conflict between Parliament and the Monarch that temporarily eliminated and permanently weakened the monarchy. 

Commonwealth

Organizations that include the United Kingdom and most of its former colonies.

Good Friday Agreement

Historic 1998 accord between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland that ended decades of violence.

Crown

Refers to the British monarchy and sometimes to the British state.

Labour Party

One of the United Kingdom’s two largest parties, since 2010 it has been the party in opposition.

Hung Parliament

In the UK, an election result in which no party wins a majority of parliamentary.

Liberals

The United Kingdom’s historic first opposition party; one of its two major political parties until the early twentieth century.

Liberal Democratic Party

Centrist third party in the United Kingdom and junior member of a coalition government from 2010 to 2015.

House of Commons

Lower house of the UK legislature.

House of Lords

Upper house of the UK legislature, whose reform is currently being debated.

Northern Ireland

Northeastern portion of Ireland that is part of the United Kingdom; also known as Ulster.

Magna Carta

The 1215 document signed by King John of England that set the precedent for limited monarchial powers.

Neoliberal

A policy of economic liberalization adopted in exchange for financial support from liberal international organizations; typically includes privatizing state-run firms, ending subsidies, reducing tariff barriers, shrinking the size of the state, and welcoming foreign investment.

Parliament

Name of the UK legislature.

Majoritarian

Terms describing the virtually unchecked power of a parliamentary majority in the UK political system.

Member of Parliament

In the United Kingdom, an individual legislator in the House of Commons.

Prime Minister

Head of government in the United Kingdom.

Quangos

In the United Kingdom, quasi-autonomous nongovernmental organizations that assist the government in making policy.

SNP

Nationalist political party promoting Scottish independence, and currently in control of the Scottish regional government.

The Troubles

The name given to the 3 decades of extreme ethnic conflict between Northern Ireland’s nationalist or republicans, who are most Catholic, and unionists or loyalists, who are mostly Protestant.

Third Way

In the United Kingdom, term describing recent policies of the Labour Party that embrace the free market.

TUC

The United Kingdom’s largest trade union confederation. 

United Kingdom of Great Britian and Northern

Official name of the British state.

UKIP

Populist and Eurosceptic political party favoring British vote.

Vote of No Confidence

A legislative check on government where by a government deems a measure to be of high importance; if that measure fails to pass the legislature, either the government must resign in favor of another leader or new parliamentary elections must be called.