Jeremy Corbyn and his policies.

[Harrowby Hall]

I was not aware that "mugwump" is a rude word. It means someone who is sitting on the fence with his mug on one side and his "wump" on the other.

[floo]

I was not aware that "mugwump" is a rude word. It means someone who is sitting on the fence with his mug on one side and his "wump" on the other.

"Mutton headed mugwump" was the phrase; of course it is impolite. Johnson doesn't half make an idiot of himself generally, especially with his scruffy hairstyle. As Foreign Secretary he is not doing the UK any favours by behaving badly, imo.

[Robbie]

Nothing wrong with mutton.
Mugwump definition - "a person who remains aloof or independent, especially from party politics"
Not heard word before, quite a good one I think!  Not rude.

[Harrowby Hall]

Johnson's main problem is that he is a short-term opportunist. Should it prove necessary, he will change his stance on membership of the EU in a second. It is shallowness in extreme to judge him by his hairstyle. Do you really think that politicians in other countries are bothered by his sartorial decisions?

Mutton-headed mugwump! Translation: not very bright and indecisive. Johnson used it because it is alliterative and memorable

Floo, we are at the beginning of a general election campaign. Wait until the insults really begin ...

[floo]

Nothing wrong with mutton.
Mugwump definition - "a person who remains aloof or independent, especially from party politics"
Not heard word before, quite a good one I think!  Not rude.

You know as well I do that the phrase that idiot Johnson used was meant to be insulting!

[Harrowby Hall]

You know as well I do that the phrase that idiot Johnson used was meant to be insulting!

And "idiot Johnson" isn't meant to be insulting?

We are now on the brink of an election. How do you think people on opposite sides of the contest are going to behave? If they can rubbish the other side they will do so, why do you imagine that they will be "polite"?. "Mutton-headed mugwump" is quite gentle, it is just public school boy banter.

[floo]

And "idiot Johnson" isn't meant to be insulting?

We are now on the brink of an election. How do you think people on opposite sides of the contest are going to behave? If they can rubbish the other side they will do so, why do you imagine that they will be "polite"?. "Mutton-headed mugwump" is quite gentle, it is just public school boy banter.

Public school banter of that kind is hardly suitable for our Foreign Secretary to indulge in, when there are so many hot spots in this world at present, on which to focus his attention, and to be treated seriously by other countries.

[Robbie]

Boris is a buffoon floo. It surprises me that anyone takes him seriously.

[Walt Zingmatilder]

Corbyn and labour look like losing but that was on the cards no matter who was in charge of labour.
What surprises me is how their opponents have bypassed the Gutter and gone straight to the sewer.

[jeremyp]

Dear Berational,

How would I achieve it, well I am no business man but.

1. If there is a slump in the market, shareholders and owners

The shareholders and the owners are the same people.

take the hit, they are paid nothing, zero, in fact if they are big business, you ask them to foot the bill until better times.

That's exactly what happens. Dividends are paid out of profits. No profits = no dividend. Also, when a company hits hard times, shareholders are frequently asked to stump up more cash to save it. Since it is their money, they are entitled to ask the company to make savings in that situation.

2. Shareholders, now this is being done, all employee's become shareholders, if I was working for company X and had shares I would graft hard to make sure that company stayed viable.

That would be a really nice idea but I think there are problems with doing that in general. It means that, every time you hire a new employee, everybody else's shareholding gets diluted. What do you do with the shares when people leave. Don't get me wrong, I like the idea: people are more motivated when they have a sense of ownership, but the problems not trivial.

3. Make damn sure all my employee's are happy to come to work, take a look at every practice the employee's are involved in and ask, how can we make it easier, more enjoyable.

How are you going to do that? Or rather how could a government legislate for that? Good companies already try to do it and even they frequently fail.

4. A bug bear of mine, coffee and tea are free, not a stupid machine, but good quality, oh and a toaster!! I would come in that little bit earlier just to have some time with colleagues over a good cup of coffee and a slice of well buttered toast, a bit of heaven before you begin your daily toil.

I'm all for free coffee in the work place but you need to be aware that it doesn't grow on trees. If you give it out for free, it's a cost to the company and maybe some of the employees who don't drink coffee are unhappy at a benefit that their colleagues get and they don't - especially if they are shareholders and it cuts in to their dividend.

[jeremyp]

Nothing wrong with mutton.

Describing somebody as "mutton headed" is an insult even if mutton is tasty.

Mugwump definition - "a person who remains aloof or independent, especially from party politics"
Not heard word before, quite a good one I think!  Not rude.

I think it would be quite an insult to describe the Labour Party leader as aloof from party politics. He's supposed to be in charge of the party politics.

[jeremyp]

And "idiot Johnson" isn't meant to be insulting?

Foo is not the Foreign Secretary and her comment hasn't been broadcast to the nation.

[Robbie]

Perhaps we are making too much of it.