Word.ws English Dictionary

Red Ken

Red Ken proper noun: a nickname for Ken Livingstone.

Proper noun

Red Ken

  1. (UK, derogatory, humorous) A nickname for Ken Livingstone.
    • In a different way the Sun on 9 March employs one of its daily letters specials, 'The Big Issue' , to remind readers through letters of the dangers they perceive in Livingstone's potential tenure, editorially linking its political aversion to Livingstone to readers' views: 'Remember what Red Ken...2001, Martin Conboy, The Press and Popular Culture, page 164
    • Livingstone, 58, a man for whom the words maverick and firebrand might have been invented, is a veteran London politician dubbed Red Ken for his brand of left-wing politics, such as his advocating for gay rights legislation and British concessions in Northern Ireland.July 15, 2003, M.W., “The Man Behind The Plan”, in CIO, volume 16, number 9, page 56

Origin of Red Ken

From Red + Ken, due to his strong socialist beliefs and progressive policies.

Questions about Red Ken

What does Red Ken mean?
Red Ken means a nickname for Ken Livingstone.
What part of speech is Red Ken?
Red Ken is a proper noun.

Words near Red Ken in the dictionary

  1. red juniper
  2. red kamala
  3. red kangaroo
  4. red kangaroos
  5. Red Karen
  6. Red Ken
  7. red king crab
  8. red king crabs
  9. red kite
  10. red kites
  11. red knot

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: Red Ken (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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