crossbencher
Unaffiliated parliament member
A crossbencher is a member of a parliament—particularly the British House of Lords or Australian Senate—who sits on the crossbenches rather than with the government or official opposition.
Crossbenchers are typically independents or members of minor parties, not bound by major party discipline: The bill passed only with crossbencher support.
Not aligned politically
- unaffiliatedNot formally connected
- independentFree from external control
- uncommittedNot bound to anything
- nonalignedNot allied with superpowers
maverick · free-thinker · outsider · dissenter · renegade · defector · abstainer · centrist
Rank-and-file parliamentarian
- frontbencherSenior parliamentary figure
- swing voteBallot determining close outcomes
- conscience voteLegislator decides without party direction
- free voteUncoerced legislative ballot
upper house · lower house · House of Lords · Senate · Westminster · speaker · whip · caucus
Ballot determining close outcomes
- balance of powerEqual distribution of influence
- kingmakerPolitical influence wielder
- tiebreakerContest deciding drawn competitors
- pivotalVitally important, deciding
leverage · coalition · negotiation · compromise · concession · horse-trading · minor party · power broker
nonpartisan
Not aligned politically
- unaffiliatedNot formally connected
- independentFree from external control
- uncommittedNot bound to anything
nonaligned · maverick · free-thinker · outsider · dissenter · renegade · defector · abstainer · centrist · moderate
backbencher
Rank-and-file parliamentarian
- frontbencherSenior parliamentary figure
- swing voteBallot determining close outcomes
- conscience voteLegislator decides without party direction
free vote · upper house · lower house · House of Lords · Senate · Westminster · speaker · whip · caucus · division
swing vote
Ballot determining close outcomes
- balance of powerEqual distribution of influence
- kingmakerPolitical influence wielder
- tiebreakerContest deciding drawn competitors
pivotal · leverage · coalition · negotiation · compromise · concession · horse-trading · minor party · power broker · casting vote
- UK PoliticsHouse of Commons, House of Lords, MP, Tory, Downing Street
- nobilityking, queen, prince, princess, duke
- UK OfficialsMP, cabinet minister, cabinet member, foreign secretary, prime minister
crossbencherparty loyalist
Devoted faction member
frontbencher · party member · party whip · partisan · party faithful
crossbencheryes-man
Uncritical agreeable subordinate
rubber stamp · loyalist · tribalist · ideologue · team player