Prawn Cocktail Offensive
Encyclopedia
The Prawn Cocktail Offensive was the scornful name given to the British Labour Party
's successful attempt (while in opposition in the 1990s) to win trust and backing from the United Kingdom
's financial sector.
The Prawn Cocktail Offensive was executed under the Shadow Chancellorship of John Smith, who accompanied Mo Mowlam
on an extensive series of private lunches and conferences with City figures.
is a seafood
entrée
popular (but regarded as something of a luxury) in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. By the time of Smith and Mowlam's operations it had acquired unfortunate connotations of naff
ness.
The combination of this dish with the well-known political phrase ‘charm offensive’ (cf.
the notorious "-gate" suffix) was a reference to the "lunching" involved in Smith and Mowlam's plans.
The first usage of the phrase ‘Prawn Cocktail Offensive’ is currently unrecorded.
Believed to be a creation of journalists, the nickname certainly sprang from remarks by Michael Heseltine
, who in Parliament in February 1992 said:
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
's successful attempt (while in opposition in the 1990s) to win trust and backing from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's financial sector.
The Prawn Cocktail Offensive was executed under the Shadow Chancellorship of John Smith, who accompanied Mo Mowlam
Mo Mowlam
Marjorie "Mo" Mowlam was a British Labour Party politician. She was the Member of Parliament for Redcar from 1987 to 2001 and served in the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.Mowlam's time as Northern...
on an extensive series of private lunches and conferences with City figures.
Origin of name
A prawn cocktailPrawn cocktail
Prawn cocktail is a seafood dish consisting of "shelled prawns in mayonnaise and tomato dressing, served in a glass". It was the most popular hors d'œuvre in Great Britain in the 1970s.-External links:*...
is a seafood
Seafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
entrée
Entrée
An entrée is a dish served before the main course, or between two principal courses of a meal.The disappearance in the early 20th century of a large communal main course such as a roast as a standard part of the meal in the English-speaking world has led to the term being used to describe the main...
popular (but regarded as something of a luxury) in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. By the time of Smith and Mowlam's operations it had acquired unfortunate connotations of naff
Naff
Naff or NAFF may refer to:People:* William E. Naff, an American scholar of Japanese language* Lycia Naff, actress* D-Naff , a Namibian award-winning Gospel rapper, and a former street gangster...
ness.
The combination of this dish with the well-known political phrase ‘charm offensive’ (cf.
Cf.
cf., an abbreviation for the Latin word confer , literally meaning "bring together", is used to refer to other material or ideas which may provide similar or different information or arguments. It is mainly used in scholarly contexts, such as in academic or legal texts...
the notorious "-gate" suffix) was a reference to the "lunching" involved in Smith and Mowlam's plans.
The first usage of the phrase ‘Prawn Cocktail Offensive’ is currently unrecorded.
Believed to be a creation of journalists, the nickname certainly sprang from remarks by Michael Heseltine
Michael Heseltine
Michael Ray Dibdin Heseltine, Baron Heseltine, CH, PC is a British businessman, Conservative politician and patron of the Tory Reform Group. He was a Member of Parliament from 1966 to 2001 and was a prominent figure in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major...
, who in Parliament in February 1992 said: