Red Ken

English

Etymology

From Red +‎ Ken, due to his strong socialist beliefs and progressive policies.

Proper noun

Red Ken

  1. (UK politics, derogatory, humorous) A nickname for Ken Livingstone.
    • 2001, Martin Conboy, The Press and Popular Culture, page 164:
      In a different way the Sun on 9 March employs one of its daily letters specials, 'The Big Issue' , to remind readers through letters of the dangers they perceive in Livingstone's potential tenure, editorially linking its political aversion to Livingstone to readers' views: 'Remember what Red Ken really stands for.
    • July 15, 2003, M.W., “The Man Behind The Plan”, in CIO‎[1], volume 16, number 9, page 56:
      Livingstone, 58, a man for whom the words maverick and firebrand might have been invented, is a veteran London politician dubbed Red Ken for his brand of left-wing politics, such as his advocating for gay rights legislation and British concessions in Northern Ireland.
    • 2008, Andrew Hosken, Ken, The Ups and Downs of Ken Livingstone, page 29:
      "Red Ken" was always a bit of a joke. I don't think he's even a Red.
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.