Backbencher was a political rank in the United Kingdom.
Heathcliffe Bower was a Conservative Party backbencher during Margaret Thatcher's time in office. (PROSE: The Assassin's Story [+]Andrew Collins, Short Trips: Repercussions (Short Trips short stories).) Charles Grover was a junior backbencher during the Cold War. (TV: Invasion of the Dinosaurs [+]Malcolm Hulke, Doctor Who season 11 (BBC1, 1974).)
MP Harriet Jones, of Flydale North, described herself as a "lifelong" backbencher. (TV: Aliens of London [+]Russell T Davies, Doctor Who series 1 (BBC One, 2005).)
When Clyde Langer showed a copy of the Ealing Echo to the Automatons so they could learn English, "Labour backbencher" was among the terms recited by them as they scanned the newspaper and learned the language almost instantly. (TV: The Empty Planet [+]Gareth Roberts, The Sarah Jane Adventures series 4 (CBBC, 2010).)
Behind the scenes[]
In the real world, the term "backbencher" refers to a member of parliament who does not hold any ministerial position, and therefore sits behind the frontbench.