Eliot Wilson Eliot Wilson

Why can’t the Tories come up with a good nickname for Keir Starmer?

When a nickname really hits its target, there is a satisfying beauty about it: a quippy sobriquet that catches the attention and goes to the heart of some aspect of a person’s character. It is a measure of the Conservative party’s inability to get a convincing hold on Sir Keir Starmer that they have tried tag after tag – Captain Hindsight, Sir Softy, the dismal Captain Crasheroony Snoozefest – but none has yet found its mark.

To real nail Starmer and come up with a nickname that sticks, the Tories should perhaps look across the pond for inspiration. Donald Trump, for all his faults, is in a category of his own when it comes to damning an opponent with a nickname. Crooked Hillary (Clinton), Sloppy Steve (Bannon), Sleepy Joe (Biden), Lyin Ted (Cruz) and Low-Energy Jeb (Bush) were all monikers that were hard to overcome.

Thatcher’s ‘Iron Lady’ epithet was originally meant as an insult

Political nicknames didn’t start with Trump, of course.

Written by
Eliot Wilson

Eliot Wilson was a clerk in the House of Commons 2005-16, including on the Defence Committee. He is a member of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Topics in this article

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in