The major Cabinet reshuffle of Prime Minister David Cameron this week has been seen by much of the press as an opportunity taken to dispose of ministers who are white, male, middle-aged, middle-class, and hence perceived boring, in favour of more young people, more females and non-whites. And all this in readiness for next year's election.
The term 'pale, male and stale' has been applied to departees like Kenneth Clarke, Dominic Grieve etc. (It has also been seen as an opportunity to dispose of Euro-enthusiasts in favour of Euro-sceptics, but that's another story).
My question is about the idiom 'pale,male and stale'. Did the expression exist previously? Who can be credited with having coined it?
I ask as one who perhaps fits the description, but am happy to wear it with my old-fashioned shirt and trousers.