Lib-Lab, a.
(ˌlɪbˈlæb)
Abbrev. of Liberal-Labour (see liberal a. 5); also as n. Hence ˌLib-ˈLabbery.
| 1903 Review of Reviews Aug. 113/1 The Progress of the Lib-Labs. The Lib-Lab party is carrying all before it. 1944 G. B. Shaw Everybody's Pol. What's What? xxx. 263 Despotic dictators came into fashion as fast as Lib-Lab prime ministers lost face. 1952 H. Nicolson King George V vii. 94 Of the 53 Labour members elected in 1906, twenty-nine belonged to the Independent Labour Party and twenty-four were affiliated to the Liberal Party and known as ‘Lib-Labs’. 1960 T. I. J. Jones in A. J. Roderick Wales through Ages II. 203 There were a few working class members of parliament before that date [sc. 1900]..but they counted themselves Liberals or at the most ‘Lib-Lab’. Ibid. 205 The early years of the twentieth century saw the appearance of a new more militant type of leader..and his appearance was to bring about the decline of the ‘Lib-Lab’ ideal. 1960 Guardian 18 Feb. 3/6 A famous ‘Lib-Lab.’ family. 1963 Ann. Reg. 1962 14 Mr Gaitskell stiffly shot down the idea of a formal Lib-Lab alliance. 1965 Economist 26 June 1496/1 This is the hoary dilemma of Lib-Labbery. 1970 Guardian 6 Aug. 10/3 North Cornish Liberals are to urge the Liberal Assembly to fight every parliamentary seat and to have no truck with Lib-Labbery. 1972 Times 30 Sept. 15/3 A Lib-Lab party would be well placed in terms of the central argument which is concerned with inflation. 1973 Daily Tel. 19 Oct. 16 Mr Wilson shudders at the very thought of a return to the old ‘Lib-Lab.’ combination. |