Boris Johnson’s quote of the day: ‘My policy on cake is in favor of having it and in favor of eating it’ and how it became a key word for Brexit
No one needs to understand the traditional proverb “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” There are many variations on this old idiom, but they all mean that you need to sacrifice something in order to get something in exchange. You can’t have two mutually exclusive things at the same time, you have to choose one or the other. but Boris JohnsonLong before he became Prime Minister, he made it clear that he did not believe this. His policy was to have his cake and eat it later.Boris Johnson quotes, “My policy on cake is in favor of having it and in favor of eating it” It became popular during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign. As foreign secretary, he said he supported Britain retaining all the economic benefits of the EU single market but chose not to bear the costs.
Brits love their cake, Boris Johnson makes Brexit easy
As leader of the Brexit campaign, Boris Johnson needs to convince voters that leaving the EU will not damage the British economy. The EU operates on a basic principle: if you want the economic benefits of the single market, you must accept its rules, including the free movement of people. Johnson believes Britain can successfully break this rule. He claimed the UK could block EU immigration and stop paying into the EU budget while maintaining full, frictionless trade access.When critics pointed out that the EU would never agree to this, Johnson used this phrase to brush off their concerns. For him, “cakeism” is the ultimate expression of British optimism.
Why did this quote become a memorable quote?
Boris Johnson is known for his gaffes and controversial comments. The cake quote stands out not just because it’s meaningful, but because it defines Brexit. To Johnson’s supporters, it was a cheerful and patriotic rejection of defeatism. To his critics and EU negotiators, this proved an unrealistic, deeply unserious strategy rooted in magical thinking.The phrase became permanent political shorthand: “cakeism” officially entered the British political lexicon. For years, European leaders have used it to mock Britain’s stance. The then President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, famously put this statement into perspective when he said “there will be no one’s cake on the table – only salt and vinegar”.In 2020, Boris Johnson claimed that his post-Brexit deal with the EU was the realization of his cake and eat theory. But years later, experts now believe Britain does not have both a piece of the pie and the privilege of having it. It’s ultimately a trade-off that the UK economy becomes smaller post-Brexit – not a sudden collapse but a gradual peak.
