Teenager beats Jacob Rees-Mogg’s record for longest word in Parliament with 45-character ‘pneumonoultramicroscopicsilico-volcanoconiosis’
Eccentric Tory had held the record for 5 years after using ‘floccinaucinihilipilification’ in attack on EU judges
A TEENAGER has defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg in a literal war of words after taking his record for using the longest one in a Parliamentary debate.
The eccentric backbench Tory MP had held the record for five years after using the bizarre term “floccinaucinihilipilification” in an attack on EU judges in the House of Commons.
He might have thought his place in the history books was safe, but he didn’t count on 16-year-old Michael Bryan.
Speaking in a earlier this month he dropped the 45-character “pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis” to take the crown.
The word refers to a lung disease caused by inhaling volcanic ash.
Mr Bryan used it to make a point about the inconsistency between the treatment of mental health issues and physical ones.
He said: "Regarding the lack of funding and attention, do you agree that there should be parity of esteem between mental conditions such as body dysmorphia and physical conditions such as pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis."
But it is unlikely to have ever been used in a diagnosis, as it formed by linking together several medical terms and was specifically created to be the longest word in the English language.
This means it could be difficult for Mr Rees-Mogg to find a way of winning back his title.
His word, at a mere 29 characters long, means the "act or habit of estimating as worthless", and was created at Eton – where he was a pupil.
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The 48-year-old said after it became the longest word recorded in Hansard – the transcript of Parliamentary debates – that it "came to mind as it does from time to time".
His conqueror, Mr Bryan, serves on the Youth Parliament Committee and eventually wants to emulate Mr Rees-Mogg by becoming an MP too.
In response the MP said he was "very impressed" by the 16-year-old, but said he was already thinking of how he might wrestle back the lead.
Mr Rees-Mogg told The Sun: "The only longer word I can think of is the Welsh town of Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch which I will need to learn how to pronounce."
Westminster-watchers will have to wait until the first Welsh Questions when Parliament returns from summer recess to see if he has managed it.