Gordon Brown is fighting for his political life today after he was caught out branding a Labour-supporting pensioner from Rochdale as a ‘bigoted woman’.
The prime minister was forced to make a string of grovelling apologies to grandmother Gillian Duffy, who had confronted him over immigration issues during a walkabout in the town.
Labour insiders admitted the gaffe, on the eve of tonight’s crucial final leaders’ debate, was a ‘disaster’ for their spluttering campaign.
One high-profile candidate said Mr Brown had left himself an ‘impossible task’ in winning the televised showdown.
Prescott defends Brown over 'bigoted woman' comment
Brown describes Rochdale voter as 'bigoted woman'
Brown apologises to Rochdale gran
Profile of Rochdale gran branded a bigot by PM
MEN Chief Reporter David Ottewell asks if Gillian Duffy has cost Labour the election
Read a full transcript of the conversation
Lifelong Labour voter Mrs Duffy – who had only left her house in Rochdale to buy a loaf of bread – was introduced to Mr Brown by one of the prime minister’s aides. She challenged him over education, tax, pensions before adding: “You can’t say anything about the immigrants... all these eastern Europeans that are coming in, where are they flocking from?”
Mr Brown told her the number of people coming into Britain from Europe was balanced by the number going out and then bid her goodbye with a cheery: “It’s very nice to see you, take care.”
He then got in his car and told an aide the meeting had been ‘a disaster’ – not realising he was still wearing a microphone from an earlier interview. “She was just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to be Labour,” the prime minister was heard to say.
Mrs Duffy, 66, said she was ‘very angry’ at Mr Brown’s words and said she would not be supporting his party.
She added: “He’s an educated person. Why has he come out with words like that?”
“He’s supposed to lead this country and he’s calling an ordinary woman who’s just come up and asked him questions what most people would ask him.”
The prime minister tried to limit the political damage by saying sorry in THREE different interviews – before interrupting his debate preparations at Manchester’s Radisson hotel to rush to Mrs Duffy’s home in Tintern Avenue to say sorry face-to-face.
Mr Brown emerged to say his apology had been accepted and he regarded himself as a ‘penitent sinner’.
But Mrs Duffy’s niece, Andrea, said: “She’s a very strong-willed person and I don’t think she’ll accept the apology to be honest.
“We used to argue about politics all the time. She was always voting Labour, so was her grandma, and her husband, God bless him.”
Last night Mr Brown tried to draw a line under the affair by apologising again – this time to Labour activists. Manchester Central Tony Lloyd – chairman of the parliamentary Labour party and a friend of the prime minister – said Mr Brown’s outburst was ‘uncharacteristic’. But he added: “The sad thing for us all is that instead of looking forward to the debate on the economy – where Gordon is the most comfortable – the media will be dominated with this gaffe.”
Mr Brown said: “The worst thing is the hurt I caused to Mrs Duffy, the kind of person I came into politics to serve. It is those people I will have in my mind as I look ahead to the rest of the campaign.” But he insisted: “You will have seen me in one context on the TV. I hope [tonight] you see once more someone not just proud to be your leader, but also someone who understands the economic challenges we face, how to meet them, and how that improves the lives of ordinary families all around Britain.”
Mr Brown had earlier told the M.E.N his party were ‘fighting for their lives’ ahead of tonight’s debate. He said: “Every day of this election campaign is crucial. We are fighting not just for our lives but for the future of the country.”
Paul Rowen, Lib Dem MP for Rochdale, said the prime minister had showed he was ‘out of touch with real life’.
The Tories said Mr Brown’s comments ‘spoke for themselves’. But Nick Clegg, the Lib Dem leader, hinted he would not attack Mr Brown on the issue tonight. He said: “If we all had recordings of what we mutter under our breath we would all be crimson with embarrassment.”
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I thought the conversation was fairly good natured, neither were rude to eachother but I think it might have been better if Mrs Duffy had mentioned immigration as a wider issue if that was her concern and not mention one group of immigrants as she did. I wonder if Brown would have made the same comments then ? To be fair, most of us have muttered something under our breath, he just got caught. Although I will not be voting Labour this time, I hope Clegg and Cameron leave it alone tonight and get on with the debate's issues without it becoming a point scoring slanging match over the Mrs Duffy incident.
Crocodile tears. He got caught out. Simple as that.
Damned if you do say something, damned if you don't.
Most public speakers would not say something to anyone's face, but in the alleged privacy of a car, who knows what comments would be muttered.
It was his opinion of her, based on a conversation they had just held. I'm sure she went away with the mutterings of "winker".
Trust the press to make more of a deal of it.
At least Cameron and Clegg will not make the same mistake.
This is no big deal. He said something unwise in a private moment - who of us haven't done the same? I hope Mrs Duffy doesn't sell her story and that this matter dies down, as the right wing press are loving it.
If people don't vote labour because of something like this, they are very short-sighted. Cameron and Osborne making unprecedented cuts to public services: now that really is the stuff of nightmares.
It just goes to show that what I have been saying about the intolerance of socialists towards those who either question them or don't share their views is true.
The meaningless weasel words invented by the left to bully others into towing their line are trotted out at the slightest provocation. Words such as 'racist' 'Islamophobia' 'homophobic' etc etc and now the lesser used 'bigot' to describe someone who doesn't fully support the left on a number of issues.
The other problem is that there are no noises comming from the Tories about ending the hated political correctness, to the extent that people are calling them 'Blue Labour'. In the Oldham area the Tories have imposed ethnic minority PPC's on all constituencies, two are Asian and one is an Iranian refugee! The imposition was made without the approval of the local constituencies and has led to the resignation of the Saddleworth chair, after the PPC began campaigning, before the local constituency had even been informed he was the selected candidate.
So I for one am not expecting much change if Camergoon is elected, other than mass unemployment; a wrecked economy; and tax cuts for the rich.
I'd have more respect for Brown if he'd have stuck to his guns and gone with what he said, backing down in the way he did makes him a coward. What a weak man.
He said all this for the good of the country, so Labour will lose next week.
Supreme Being,
"It was his opinion of her, based on a conversation they had just held"
He said he had misunderstood her comments. Not being rude, but she was no hi-falutin intellectual. I clealry got the gist of her concerns.
No, the truth is that she was not what he thought she was to be - an adoring roll-over. Good on her.
Fact is, Gordon is unpleasant. Simple as that.
I am not a political person, I dont think there is much difference between the main parties - they are all as bad as each other. What I think this does illustrate is a wider arrogance that is around us now - where governments, national and local, dont really care what the electorate want or think. Any opinion different will get you labelled as something. Just read the story about the Wigan lads cheese sandwich and the comments from Wigan council, the Con-charge led by Manchester, the tagging of a pet shop owner instigated by Trafford......different councils different colours (I think, not that I care) completely out of touch with the person on the street. Every one of us is a Gillian Duffy.
On an online dictionary website,a bigot is defined thus : a person who is utterly intolerant of any differing creed,belief,or opinion...So do remind me Mr Brown,who was the bigot again in yesterday's dialogue ?
Alan Partridge
I tend to agree. He should have stuck to his guns and said, she may be a life long Labour supporter (sad mare) but I found her views bigoted.
Instead he says he misunderstood what she said, them apologises. He looked weak and pathetic.
Good bye Gordon. Shut the door on the way out.
We all suffer stresses in life. And what happens when we are stressed! He has been under enormous stress for a long time and I think that if people hadn't got him in that way in the first place then he might have been a bit cheerful. He is a wise man but my view is he has been pushed to the limits by false-hearted people. There has been a relentless campaign against him. Its my view that the people who are gunning for him aren't' t interested in the people but more self interest.
I am not saying he cant run the country because its quite the opposite, but people need to cut some slack. He is not superman he is human.
Well Jeremy Clarckson said it about Brown and he was RIGHT, however i cannot repeat it as the MEN will not print it (by the way i am Scottish to).
A13 said '' it might have been better if Mrs Duffy had mentioned immigration as a wider issue if that was her concern and not mention one group of immigrants as she did''.
She is an old lady nipping out for a loaf of bread, not a presenter on the Today programme!
You are blaming her for asking questions in her own way and poking fun at her lack of skilled interview technique.
Chorltonbusdriver, unprecedented cuts? All three parties will be making unprecendted cuts (some more than others) as we are in an unprecendted situation ie biggest public deficit of any country in history. Brown did a good job on the economy as he was tell bankers just two months before the recession that his 'light regulation' gave the City freedom to be entreprenurial and he congratulated himself on their success. Two months later we all found out there success was anything but as they were all broke.
Esso Blue and others excuse his behaviour as he is under stress. I imagine that he is under stress every day, what with being the Prime Minister so can we assume he behaves like this every day? If he can't cope with the stress he shouldn't be in the job.
He also said he misunderstood this old lady's words! What if he had been 'under stress' and misunderstood President Putin's word's when negotiating nuclear issues?
What a complete Circus, if anything this ridiculous over reaction is making me stick with labour,
What with Cameron targeting families with children and Cleggs joke of an imigration policy i dont see any othert choice.
Who cares what he said, like he's the first person to leave a conversation making a comment about them.
Am i misunderstanding the roles of polititions, Are they not here to listen to their voters and take on board what they say and act in their voters best interest ?? or are they so far away from reality and so full of their own importance and now unable to deal with a few difficult questions without first rehearsing their responses.
It appears that Gordon Brown felt he should be able to pick and choose who he actually speaks to "That was a disaster...should never have put me with that woman." Who the hell does he think he is??? Not the next prime minister thats for sure.
It was reported in one national newspaper that Brown misunderstood Mrs Duffy because she is a white northern working class person. Says it all really doesn't it about this out of touch and unelected embarassment of a man.
I wonder what Mr Cameron said in the media safety of his car, after he had been confronted by the father wanting promises of mainstream education for disabled children.
I'll only be happy when this damned election is over and forgotten. Sick to the back teeth and beyond.
He misunderstood what she said? I think the average ten year old undersood what she said.
Doesn't say much about his suitability to sit at the same table as world leaders and discuss matters of critical global importance if he can't understand a simple comment from a granny in Rochdale.
Supreme Being,
"It was his opinion of her, based on a conversation they had just held"
He said he had misunderstood her comments. Not being rude, but she was no hi-falutin intellectual. I clealry got the gist of her concerns.
- I didn't mention the level of intellect one needs to have to join in a potitical street discussion. Whether or not he misunderstood her comments, he formed an opinion of her, one he clearly labelled as a bigot.
Fact is, Gordon is unpleasant. Simple as that. Again thats your opinion!
He may be, but then I think Cameron is smarmy and don't know about Clegg yet. But one of these idiots will be our prime minister and running the country, whether I like them or not.
At least all those pathetic labour voters because their parents voted labour know what their masters really think of them.
We Northerners always prided ourselves on our blunt outspoken views. Very tiresome when you are on the sharp end of someones tongue, but it did make for tolerance,humour because you had to be on your mettle able to give as good as you got.
It was always said,present company was excepted, but if the cap fitted you were allowed to wear it.
And insulting people and reading their response was a good way of measuring their mettle and suitability as friends.
So When they began labelling us Racist,Sexist Homophobic bigots it meant it was no longer possible to regard people as equals,because they are too hypersensitive, and have to be appeased,and pandered to.
Labour are on the verge on being relegated to the political third division, but Browns comment ilustrates what most Labour members think of anyone who does not share their view... 7 more days befor the end of the labour party as we know it in Britain !
Here we go again with another MEN blocked comment,which denotes other Labour Politicians (even without names)who are also abandoning those who are critical of comments or lack of action.
We are pushed into the background hence the regular comment makers appearing daily with few
new one`s.