What is a banana republic? Meaning of political term, Labour MP Chris Bryant’s Twitter comments explained

Rishi Sunak has become the new Prime Minister after receiving the backing of more than half of the Conservative Party’s MPs during the political grouping’s latest leadership election.

The Yorkshire MP faced no public scrutiny during the contest, which saw him defeat Penny Mordaunt and Boris Johnson in a race that was held almost entirely behind closed doors. Opposition parties and some members of the general public have reiterated calls for an early general election, as they argue Sunak has no mandate to lead the UK.

One of the most dramatic interventions came from Labour MP Chris Bryant, who suggested the country had now become a ‘banana republic’. But what does this term mean? Here’s what you need to know.

Who is Chris Bryant?

Chris Bryant, 60, is the Labour MP for the Welsh constituency Rhondda. An MP since 2001, he is the Chair of the Committees on Standards and Privileges which seeks to ensure the business of the House of Commons is conducted in a professional and moral manner.

A Minister for Europe during the Gordon Brown administration, Bryant is staunchly pro-EU and is seen as being more of a centrist voice in the Labour Party. As a gay man, he has also fought for LGBTQ+ rights and equality during his time in Parliament.

In recent years, he has also emerged as one of the leading voices on Parliamentary procedure thanks to his in-depth knowledge of Erskine May. Essentially the rule book for MPs and governments, it sets out the UK’s unwritten constitution - a system largely based on precedent. Bryant stood to become the Speaker of the House of Commons when John Bercow stood down in 2019 but was beaten by Sir Lindsay Hoyle.

What did Chris Bryant say on Twitter?

In a Tweet that has been liked almost 30,000 times, Chris Bryant aired his frustration with how the Conservatives changed leader for the third time in seven weeks. His comments are significant given he is one of the biggest authorities on Parliamentary procedure.

He wrote: “If @RishiSunak becomes PM without a single interview or a smidgin of scrutiny, let alone a public vote, the British electoral system will look no more democratic than a banana republic. He will have no mandate. And that is disgraceful.”

Bryant’s comments about the UK being a banana republic were echoed by German magazine ‘Der Spiegel’, which called the UK a ‘Banana Island’ and carried the headline on its front page: ‘How Britons made themselves the laughing stock of Europe’.

What is a banana republic?

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the derogatory term ‘banana republic’ is defined thus: “A small country, especially in South and Central America, that is poor, corrupt, and badly ruled.”

The phrase was originally used to describe the nefarious activities of large US fruit companies, who would get Caribbean, South and Central American countries to subvert democracy in favour of their business interests - usually in relation to bananas.

This activity would see the countries’ leaders receive kickbacks in exchange for diverting resources to build infrastructure or creating policy that would benefit business. In one of the most egregious cases, the government of Honduras was the subject of a 1911 coup that was supported by The Cuyamel Fruit Company.

The term developed a broader meaning over the twentieth century, standing for any country whose government routinely ignored democratic election results, or staged coups to remain in power.

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