We’re not saying that Shakespeare, who made a centuries-long legacy out of dramatising political squabbles, could have really predicted anything to do with Brexit, but two women, both alike in name, in fair south east England, where we lay our scene, does have a ring to it. Alexandra Phillips is one of the many Brexit Party MEPs claiming victory following the EU elections. But she is also one of the fewer Green Party MEPs very happy to take their place at the European Parliament. How could this be? Well, in the south east of England, there are two Alexandra Phillipses. One is an MEP for the Greens, the other is an MEP for the Brexit Party.
The likelihood of this is pretty much down to the fact they have common enough names. Alexandra, according to behindthename.com, was the 43rd most common in the UK in 1991, when each Alexandra Phillips was a child. Born in 1983 and 1985 respectively, the Alexandra Phillipses also have a pretty common forename. According to BabyMed.com, in 1984 in England and Wales, Alexandra was the 52nd most popular name.
It sounds a bit farcical that two Alexandra Phillipses were voted in, one above the other on the list of votes. Are they going to have to use their middle names as modifiers? As far as we know the Brexit Alexandra Phillips has Lesley as a middle name, so maybe she’ll get to be ‘Alex L’ or ‘Alexandra L’? Or maybe one of them will get to be Alex as opposed to Alexandra? Or perhaps the best thing to do is to call them, as we have, the Brexit Alexandra Phillips and the Green Alexandra Phillips? On the plus side, their political divergence means it’s unlikely they’re set to be in many meetings together going forward. Unless someone invites the wrong Alexandra Phillips of course.
Elsewhere, there are plenty of MEPs with pretty unique names, who will likely never run into someone similarly named, including Annunziata Rees-Mogg, June Mummery and Magid Magid.
Magid is one of the Green Alexandra Phillips's colleagues now that he's a Green Party MEP, best known as the former Lord mayor of Sheffield who banned President Trump from the city. Just as the count for the North West of England, where Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) was standing, came in, Magid was photographed looking at his phone while drinking a McDonald’s milkshake. A clear nod to Lennon being the first of many far-right candidates to be ‘milkshaked’ during the EU election campaign, his post has garnered a few cross responses from Green supporters who strongly advocate against the use of single-use plastics. It’s a move that, for very different reasons, might have annoyed both Alexandra Phillipses.