InBritish political culture,gammon is apejorative term typically used to describe a specific demographic of older white men who expressreactionary orright-wing views, particularly in support ofBrexit.[1]
The term was coined in this context in 2017. Visually, it compares the complexion of the subject's face togammon (a type of cured pork), implying a flushed or pink appearance resulting from anger or raised blood pressure.[2] Whilecutaneous flushing is a physiological response that occurs in all humans, the insult relies on the specific visibility of this reaction on lighter skin tones, using the meat metaphor as a caricature of the "angry white man" archetype.
Proponents of the term usegammon as not merely a physical descriptor but in reference to a state of mind or political disposition.[3] Matt Zarb-Cousin, a former spokesperson forJeremy Corbyn who is credited with popularising the term's modern political usage, has described thegammon as a person characterised by a refusal to listen to opposing arguments and a tendency to become visibly angry when their political views are challenged.[2]
The term has sparked debate in the UK regarding whether it constitutes a racial slur. Critics have argued that it targets individuals based on their skin colour and age.[4] Defenders of the term, such as commentatorOwen Jones, argue that it is a critique of choice and political attitude rather than an attack on innate racial characteristics.[5]
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The association between the face and cured meat appears in historical literature. In 1604,John Marston wrote "Your devilship's ring has no virtue, the buff-captain, the sallow-westphalian gammon-faced zaza cries" inThe Malcontent. In 1838,Charles Dickens used the wordgammon inNicholas Nickleby to mean "nonsense"[6] (a usage that persists inAustralian Aboriginal English[7]), but also made comparisons between men and meat in other works.
In 2004, a sports feature inThe Observer describedRupert Lowe as the "gammon-cheeked Southampton chairman".[8]
In 2010,Caitlin Moran wrote inThe Times that Prime MinisterDavid Cameron resembled "a slightly camp gammon robot".[9]
In 2015,Ruby Tandoh calledGreat British Bake Off judgePaul Hollywood a "walking gammon joint".[10]
The term's viral political usage began in 2017 when children's author Ben Davis tweeted a picture of nine members of aBBCQuestion Time audience, referring to them as "the Great Wall of Gammon".[11] The term became popular in this context, particularly on social media.[10][12][13][14][15]
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