lobby correspondent

English

Etymology

So called from journalists who were given access to the private members' lobby in the House of Commons, later becoming a more generic term for all such journalists in Parliament.

Noun

lobby correspondent (plural lobby correspondents)

(UK) A journalist who reports on political and parliamentary affairs, especially through unattributed sources from politicians or other government officials.
- 2004 July 19, Charlie Whelan, New Statesman, Don't believe it: "Blair declares war – on Gordon Brown", page 26:
  Another paper reported that the GMB's decision to cut back the cash it gives to the Labour Party was all down to Gordon Brown. The evidence for this was that a lobby correspondent saw the GMB boss, Kevin Curran, talking to Douglas Henderson MP, a Brown supporter, on the Commons terrace bar. The hack probably didn’t even realise that Doug was a GMB member.