Boris Johnson launches personal attack on ‘mugwump’ Jeremy Corbyn
Boris Johnson has launched an astonishing personal attack on Jeremy Corbyn, labelling him a “mutton-headed old mugwump”.
The Foreign Secretary used the bizarre term as he warned that the Labour leader would be a threat to national security if elected Prime Minister in the June election.
Writing in The Sun, Mr Johnson said Mr Corbyn had “no grasp of the need for this country to be strong in the world” and questioned how he would respond to the “semi-deranged” regime in North Korea.
He also warned that the UK would be “totally stiffed” in Brexit negotiations if Mr Corbyn was dealing with Brussels.
Mr Johnson said: “The biggest risk with Jeremy Corbyn is that people just don’t get what a threat he really is.
“They watch his meandering and nonsensical questions and they feel a terrible twinge of human compassion.
“Well, they say to themselves: he may be a mutton-headed old mugwump, but he is probably harmless.”
Russia was “interfering blatantly with European democracies”, Kim Jong Un was leading a “semi-deranged regime in North Korea, bent on getting nuclear weapons that could one day be used to strike this country” and the UK and its allies were taking on an “Islamist death cult”.
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Mr Johnson added: ”Where is Corbyn on any of these issues?
“He seems to have no grasp of the need for this country to be strong in the world.”
He added: “Just when Kim Jong Un is on the verge of acquiring a really deadly nuclear weapon, Britain could be on the verge of acquiring Jeremy Corbyn as PM – a man whose brilliant idea of a nuclear deterrent is that we should send our nuclear subs to sea with no nuclear missiles aboard.”
Shadow cabinet minister John Healey said he had to look up the word “mugwump” and criticised Mr Johnson for attention-seeking.
Blasting the personal attack on Labour’s leader, Mr Healey told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think this is Boris Johnson feeling left out of the election campaign and it’s the sort of look-at-me name calling that you would expect in an Eton playground.
“I simply don’t want to sink to that sort of level to respond, I think it demeans the position of Britain’s Foreign Secretary.
“And I would say to him, I suppose, on a serious point, don’t attack the person, debate the policies, get your leader to do that on TV with Jeremy Corbyn and let the people see a leaders’ debate in this election campaign, like they did last time.”
Twitter also jumped on Mr Johnson’s comments, particularly his use of the word ‘mugwump’:
Johnson getting the Tory soundbites in early #r4today #mugwump. totally untrustworthy politican who peddles falsehoods,absurd claims
— SarahP سارة (@sep912) April 27, 2017
The old Etonian using old Etonian language. It really is the elites v the rest of us #GE2017 #mugwump #r4today
— Tommy Kane (@TommyKane3) April 27, 2017
Boris Johnson thinks it’s 1987 and he’s running for head-boy at Eton #mugwump
— The Political Diva (@GrainneGillis) April 27, 2017
#borisjohnson liar and UK saboteur calling #Corbyn a #mugwump you have to laugh used to call my baby daughter that as a term of endearment
— Stocker (@Wowlywilly) April 27, 2017
However, others were much more supportive of the blistering attack:
I have to say that I’m going to use the term #mugwump whenever I get the chance today. Great use of English from @BorisJohnson
— Doctor Mugwump (@docmagoo2) April 27, 2017
Proud to be alive on the day #mugwump trended on Twitter.
— Felicity Crump (@FelicityCrump) April 27, 2017
Mutton headed #Mugwump-very good! Haha-lets face it, corbyn has left himself open to ridicule by not recusing himself from labour leadership
— Edward Bayliss (@ebay81) April 27, 2017
Great description of Jeremy – person who remains neutral on controversial issues or cant make up their mind on political issue #mugwump
— Colette Baldwin (@BaldwinColette) April 27, 2017
Mr Johnson’s article comes just one day after rumours surfaced that Theresa May did not want him taking part in the election campaign.
However, he denied being sidelined, telling ITV1’s Good Morning Britain: “I’ve been working very hard.”
He also refused to row back on his comments about Mr Corbyn, joking to Radio 4’s Today programme: “I want to apologise to mugwumps everywhere.”
Mr Corbyn will today set out Labour’s plans to build a million homes, including at least 500,000 council houses, in response to what he regards as Tory failures to tackle the problem.
Echoing his speech that launched Labour’s general election campaign, he will say: ”The system is rigged, with housing treated as an investment for the few, not homes for the many.
“Seven years of Conservative failure… shows that they will never fix the housing crisis, which is holding so many people back.”
Top pic: Rex