No one needs an introduction to the traditional idiom that ‘You can’t have your cake and eat it too’. There are many variations of the age-old idiom but all of them mean that you need to make some sacrifice to get something in exchange. You cannot simultaneously possess two mutually exclusive things, and you have to choose one of the other. But Boris Johnson, long before he became the UK PM, made it clear that he did not believe in it. His policy is to have to the cake and then to eat it.Boris Johnson’s quote, “My policy on cake is pro having it and pro eating it” became popular during the 2016 Brexit referendum campaign. As the foreign secretary, he said he was in favor of the UK retaining all economic benefits of the EU single market, yet opting out of the costs.
The British love their cakes and Boris Johnson made Brexit simple
As a leader of the Leave campaign, Boris Johnson needed to convince voters that exiting the EU wouldn’t damage the British economy. The EU operates on a fundamental principle: if you want the financial benefits of the Single Market, you have to accept its rules, including the free movement of people. Johnson argued that the UK could successfully break this rule. He claimed Britain could stop EU immigration and stop paying into the EU budget, while keeping full, frictionless trade access.When critics pointed out that the EU would never agree to this, Johnson used the phrase to shrug off their concerns. To him, “cakeism” was the ultimate expression of British optimism.
Why did it become a memorable quote?
Boris Johnson is mostly known for his gaffes and controversial statements. The cake quote became remarkable not only because it made sense but also because it defined Brexit. To Johnson’s supporters, it was a cheerful, patriotic rejection of defeatism. To his critics and EU negotiators, it was proof of an unrealistic, deeply unserious strategy rooted in magical thinking.The quote became a permanent political shorthand: “Cakeism” officially entered the British political lexicon. For years, European leaders used it to mock the UK’s position. Donald Tusk, then-President of the European Council, famously targeted the quote by stating there would be “no cakes on the table for anyone — only salt and vinegar.”In 2020, Boris Johnson claimed that his post-Brexit deal with the EU was a realization of his cake theory. But after years, experts now believe that UK did not both the cake and the privilege of having it. It was ultimately a trade-off and UK economy became smaller after Brexit — not a sudden collapse but a gradual culmination.