crossbencher

1 9.5

A member of parliament who is not in the government or the opposition

noun
/ˈkrɒsˌbɛnʧə/

Jargon

: miembro independiente

Lord Smith sat as a crossbencher in the House of Lords for many years.

Examples

The crossbencher voted independently on the new bill.
Several crossbenchers played a crucial role in passing the new legislation.
As a crossbencher, she voted on each issue according to her beliefs rather than party lines.
Many crossbenchers support environmental policies.
As a crossbencher, she often voted independently of the party lines and focused on the issues that mattered to her constituents.
The crossbencher played a crucial role during the debate, providing alternative perspectives that neither side had considered.
In the House of Lords, a crossbencher can influence legislation by offering unbiased opinions that are not swayed by party politics.

Synonyms

parliamentarian

vscrossbencher

9 7.3

A person elected to a parliament, such as the House of Commons

is a parliamentary member who is not aligned with government or opposition

fencesitter

vscrossbencher

1 8.2

A person who does not choose a side in a dispute, especially in politics

is a legislative member who remains independent from government and opposition

How Independent

independent

218 3.6

crossbencher

Jargon

1 9.5

backbencher

Jargon

2 7.5

party man

1 6.1

Surface Forms

crossbencher singular

crossbenchers plural

Morphology

crossbencher = crossbench (semi-transparent) = cross + bench + er

The word is built from the specialized noun 'crossbench' plus '-er', but the political meaning is not fully predictable unless one knows the parliamentary term.

Etymology

The word crossbencher comes from the parts cross- ('across') and bench ('seat'), because these members sit on benches 'across' the chamber rather than with the government or the opposition. So, a crossbencher is a member who is not on either side and often votes independently.