Can You Name These British Politicians if We Scramble Their Names?

POLITICS

By: Zoe Samuel

7 Min Quiz

Image: Wiki Commons by Chris McAndrew

About This Quiz

The species known colloquially as The British Politician has had the luxury of practicing the same arts of survival for far longer than most of their foreign cousins. Since Magna Carta, a political class within Britain has learned the rules of power and flourished, spawning dozens of political parties and drawing governmental heavyweights from nearly every strata of British society. Some of these politicians' names ring through history as the titans who brought the transatlantic slave trade to an end, or who decided that Partition was something on which to roll the dice, or that even though many who voted for it say they've changed their minds, Brexit should go ahead anyway. For good or ill, or both as is often the case, these men and women are etched into history, their names taught to children along side Darwin and Moore. They are important, if not necessarily in the ways they thought they were important, and they must be remembered.

But how well do you really know them? Could you only recognize them in context, or would you know a politician's name even  if it were a jumble, as "Gene or Ecology" is George Clooney? It is time to test your political and puzzle instincts with our very own political name word jumble. Can you pick out the name of the politician once put through a blender?

Known for their appetite, who is "lunch tonic whirls"?

Few politicians in British history are as famous as Winston Churchill. Churchill was the ideal Prime Minister to lead the nation through the Second World War, but a tragically inept politician in times of peace.

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"Await Emit Woo" sounds like a Cold War password, but who is it, really?

An MP representing Coventry North West, Taiwo Owatemi is an NHS pharmacist specialising in cancer care. Her career in medicine and the political issues she focuses on are likely the result of her work, and her upbringing in the house of a nurse (her mother), and a father who died due to organ failure.

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"Pelts and parchment" could be which of the following?

The MP for Stevenage since 2010, Stephen McPartland has been immersed in political work since graduating from University in 1999. In fact, his only non-political work of note was as the Director of Membership for a British office for the US Chamber of Commerce.

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Can you identify this "mandible id"?

Ed Miliband, one half of the brothers Miliband who each served terms in government, is the MP for Doncaster North, and has been since 2005. A former cabinet minister and party leader, his political beliefs are likely the result of his education, and the fact that his father was a political intellectual who fled Nazi persecution.

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Don't let the name fool you! "Rig neophyte Tut" isn't far off the mark! Who could it be?

Of all the things that William Pitt the Younger can be called, perhaps the most telling is that he was a politician who took a stand against the creation of concrete political parties. PM during the reign of George III, Pitt the Younger is perhaps best known for his role in putting to an end the transatlantic slave trade.

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What politician do you think is "henpeck in knots"?

The MP for Aberavon, Stephen Kinnock is almost a cartoon of a Labour Minister. He is young-ish. His father was Vice President of the European Commission, and once the leader of the Labour Party and his wife is the former PM of Denmark.

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Oddly, some may say this politician's anagram "jocose germ bag" is an apt description. Who is it?

The Right Honourable gentleman representing the 19th century has been called many things by his detractors over the years, but perhaps this will be the first time he will be called a humourous container of infectious materials, if only by accident. Jacob Rees-Mogg, MP for North East Somerset, is Leader of the House of Commons and Lord President of the Council.

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This poor politician's anagram is "lechery to do." Whatever should this politician do? Who do you think they are?

MP Leo Docherty is a former soldier and author turned Conservative politician. As a soldier who served in Afghanistan, his experiences there informed his perspective in his book about said war. You can buy have the book now, and the other half when you reach his constituency, in Aldershot.

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"Wormy tendon" sounds like some sort of cattle illness. Who do you think it is?

Wendy Morton is the MP for Aldridge-Brownhills. Unusually for members of her party, the Tory MP began her career working in the public sector, leaving for the private sector after working within two government offices. She has been in elected office since 2015.

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"Harb brag day" could be an obscure national holiday in New Zealand, or it could be the name of a British politician. Who is it?

Graham Brady is one of those rare Tory MPs to first win office during the rise of New Labour in the 1990s, holding it to this day. The MP for Altrincham and Sale West, he has served in important roles in Conservative governments, but with his roots in Tony Blair's glory days, he knows what it means to be in the minority.

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"Differing wrath" is often directed toward politicians. Who is this mess of letters, really?

Andrew Griffith is a Tory MP whose 2019 election was part of the huge Conservative sweep that confirmed Boris Johnson as PM. MP for Arundel and South Downs, Griffith has flirted with politics before, twice running without success, and traveling in the rarefied circles of investment bankers who can both influence government policy, and found think-tanks. In his case, he did both.

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"Savoring no bin" could mean this politician goes straight to the municipal tip. Who is it?

Gavin Robinson has been the MP for Belfast East since 2015, a staunch member of the Democratic Unionist Party. Of all the political parties bracing for impact from Brexit, the Democratic Unionist Party is perhaps bracing the hardest. The Troubles ended, to a large extent, due to events resulting from British membership in the EU. If Brexit isn't handled delicately, the DUP could have its hands full.

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"An anemia, reverently" could be the mark of both clergy and a child of Queen Victoria. Who is it though?

The MP for Berwick upon Tweed since 2015, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is one of Boris Johnson's closest political allies, even within his own party. A Tory, Anne-Marie Trevelyan is an outspoken advocate for leaving the European Union, resigning a cabinet position to underscore her displeasure with a draft of Brexit.

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Does it mean anything that this politician's name anagrams to "and a mothering babe"? Do any of these names mean anything to you?

If you don't already know the name Thangam Debbonaire, you should, as she is the Shadow Brexit Minister. One of the principled Labour members who resigned her appointed positions over her antipathy toward Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. A professional cellist, she has also worked in academia, authoring papers and books on domestic violence.

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There's no "trickier hat wag" than this politician. Who are they?

MP Craig Whittaker has one of the longest titles of anyone in this quiz: Her Majesty's Lord Commissioner to The Treasury in the Government Whips Office. In office since 2010, Whittaker stood in five elections thus far, the first being a loss in 2007. His electoral victory was the first in his constituency for the Tories since 1997.

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"Newt nod ads rajah" puts one in mind of the Roman Senate, only it's not Latin, it's English. Who is this mess of letters?

It is likely, in 2010, when Jonathan Edwards first took office, that his colleagues laughed at his party's goal of splitting Wales from the Union. Who is laughing now? A member of Plaid Cymru, Edwards advocates for Welsh independence, much in the same way that the SNP advocates for Scottish independence. Given sentiment about Brexit, these goals could become a reality.

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What politician's name becomes "paw pith florid hip" with peanut butter on the roof of one's mouth?

Philippa Whitford has been the MP for Central Ayrshire since 2015, and functions as the SNP's voice on healthcare matters, but there's more to her than just that. A breast surgeon, she spent 18 years working for the NHS. Additionally, she volunteered for the UN as a doctor in Gaza, advising hospitals and giving medical care to women.

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This MP's name becomes the very strange "a cab a blab, mushrooms". Who do you think fits the bill?

Bambos Charalambous means business. A litigator, the MP for Enfield Southgate spent most of his career as a solicitor for Hackney London Borough Council, in housing litigation, and had, since 1994, been a member of Enfield Council. His 2017 election victory came after three defeats.

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"Pope groans 'A ... a bean!'" No, it's not a headline from "The Daily Mail". Who is it?

The MP for Erith and Thamesmead, Abena Oppong-Asare is one of the few politicians who managed the impossible: winning a seat for Labour in the 2019 election and as a newcomer! Long involved in issues involving women's rights and her ancestors' land of Ghana, she is one of only two women, both recently elected, who represent the full extent of MPs of Ghanaian descent.

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What MP's name anagrams to the words of the most negative art teacher in the world, "woodcut so lame"?

The MP for Foyle, Colum Eastwood is an Irish nationalist and member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party, who advocates for the reunification of Ireland. That said, it is important to stress the difference between his party, the SDLP, and Sinn Féin, who have a very different past.

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Sadly, this politician's name only works as "jobs honor sin" with the American spelling, but in as much as he was born there, it makes sense. Who is he?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been many things throughout his life. He was born with the unfortunate full name Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson. As a journalist, he was fired for printing lies. He has, by his own description, phoned in his years as a columnist. He enjoyed many years as Mayor of London, during the economic recovery following the financial crisis of the late 2000s. His hair is real.

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Who possesses a name amounting to the nonsensical "joints mounts nil"?

In reporting facts about MP Justin Tomlinson, several items stand out. He once made a bet that he would be Prime Minister one day and takes this bet very seriously. He left his wife for a woman in his employ, who is 14 years his junior. He became Minister for Disabled People after reportedly voting to cut benefits to disabled children. He called the police to report an MP from a rival party for the alleged crime of talking on a mobile phone while driving.

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Who do you think we mean by "cybals irk tank"?

Aberdeen North's Kirsty Blackman is likely part of the generation of SNP members destined to make their mark on British politics. With the UK's pending exit from the EU and widespread Scottish sentiment against the move, it isn't impossible that a second Scottish referendum could result in the SNP's goal of a ... Scexit?

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"Baron Rimill" sounds like he should be in the House of Lords! Who is this "Baron"?

Robin Millar is one of the many Conservative MPs swept to power in 2019 in an anti-Corbyn wave election. With little on his CV, what can be said about him is that he is a Tory representing Aberconwy, and should consider changing his name to Baron Rimill and joining the Monster Raving Loony Party.

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Politics is the art of compromise. Who is "allowing in erode"?

Representing Nottingham South, Lilian Greenwood has been in office since 2010, when she ran for the first time. Though she has held her office since 2010, her tenure has not been bereft of drama. Rising under Ed Miliband's leadership, she resigned from her party posts under Corbyn in protest of his weak leadership. She remains in office.

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The name "jerkiness abhor me" could be applied to nearly any politician. Who is it in this case?

Old Bexley and Sidcup's loss was James Brokenshire's gain. The MP for the now defunct seat of Hornchurch, the ironically named Brokenshire failed to win his party's nomination in any of the nearby constituencies. Brokenshire found luck in Old Bexley and Sidcup; however, as that safe Tory seat's MP Derek Conway had to resign in disgrace. Despite being quite accurately labeled a carpetbagger, he won the seat, and the rest, as he will say in his autobiography, is history.

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MPs often take on important roles in specialised tasks. Who "analyzed wicks ink"?

There are few places as lovely to split one's time between than London and the constituency of Shrewsbury and Atcham, for which Daniel Kawczynski is an MP. The first MP born in Poland (however raised in the UK), Daniel Kawczynski took office in the 2005 election, praised homeopathy, and voted to reduce the time limit on having an abortion, on what he claimed were religious grounds.

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Political currents are capricious. Who is the politician who is "bravado wind rut"?

A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, MP for Somerton and Frome David Warburton is a composer and businessman who came into office as a Tory in 2015. Warburton's major claim to fame is his company, founded in 1999, which allowed users to download annoying sounds to their mobile devices. Yes, including that one.

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Whose name anagrams to "in and humanistic"?

Once the Leader of the Opposition, Iain Duncan Smith AKA IDS, is unlikely to be called "humanistic" by his political opponents. A battle-scarred political "happy warrior," IDS is the MP representing Chingford and Woodford Green.

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What politician's name anagrams to "wake mumble cell"?

MP Emma Lewell-Buck is a product of a 2013 by-election for her constituency of South Shields. Before her work in parliament, MP Lewell-Buck was a social worker. Still, something about politics must have been an irresistible pull for her, as her election was a return to one of her undergraduate subjects from university.

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What politician or Batman villain's name anagrams to "ham ice glove"?

Michael Gove is nothing if not a survivor. When Gove's pro-Brexit machinations resulted in an opening for Boris Johnson to become PM, a move he said he would back, he turned on his ally, announcing his own candidacy for the job. Somehow Gove survived that failed party coup, and after being fired by PM May for it, was rehired and is now in charge of a no-deal Brexit.

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Practically Shakespearean, whose name anagrams to "caliper jock I eyed"?

The PM for Thurrock, Jackie Doyle-Price was elected in 2010 and decided to begin her career as a Conservative MP by giving a stirring speech on the issue that compelled her to public service: welfare reform. She opposed UKIP and Brexit, although she hasn't made many waves since the referendum.

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