Brown sorry for ‘bigot’ comment

Wednesday 28th April 2010, 2:30PM BST.

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GORDON BROWN today described a female voter as a bigot after she quizzed him on the country’s national debt and immigration.

The Prime Minister was also heard describing the encounter with the woman as a “disaster”. The comments were made as he got into his car after speaking to Gillian Duffy in Rochdale, not realising the Sky News microphone on his shirt was still switched on.

He told an aide: “That was a disaster they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It’s just ridiculous . . .”

Asked what she had said, he replied: “Everything, she was just a bigoted woman.”

A Conservative Party source said: “Gordon Brown’s comments speak for themselves.”

Mrs Duffy, 65, said she was “very annoyed” and added she wanted an apology, although not a personal one.

The Prime Minister moved swiftly to try to defuse the situation. Speaking on the Jeremy Vine show on BBC Radio 2 shortly after the encounter he apologised profusely for the comments.

Clutching his head in his hands, he said: “I do apologise if I said anything hurtful and I will apologise to her personally. Of course she’s allowed to express her view. It was a question on immigration that I was unhappy with. I wasn’t given a chance to answer it.

Mr Brown hears his comments played back to him while being interviewed on BBC Radio 2

“I’m blaming myself. But let’s remember this was me being helpful to the broadcasters with my mic on.

“They’ve chosen to play the private conversation. I apologise profusely for saying that. I don’t think she is that (a bigot).”

Mrs Duffy, a widow from Rochdale, added: “I just want to know why I was called a bigot. It was very upsetting. I am very upset. He’s an educated person, why is he coming up with words like that?”

The Prime Minister was accosted by Mrs Duffy in the street after visiting a community payback scheme in Rochdale.

She tackled him on a series of issues including the national debt, taxes, student financing and immigration.

Mrs Duffy told reporters afterwards she was a lifelong Labour voter. Asked earlier what she thought of the Prime Minister, she said: “He was very nice.”

By Sarah Swinnerton and Alex James

View more: Election 2010 news.

1
Adam

April 28, 2010 at 15:29

Labour will dig up some dirt and lies about the lady in question, she will be smeared and lambasted like all the others who have dared to criticise this motley crew of wasters and crooks!

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2
H. St. John Peasbody

April 28, 2010 at 16:11

I wonder if Liebour will do a Dr David Kelly on Mrs Duffy?

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3
John

April 28, 2010 at 16:37

Now we know what Labour makes of there loyal lifelong supporters !!

Thank god i am a conservative voter and i will be staying that way !

Vote Conservative On May 6th And get this country working again !

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4
Josephine Easter

April 28, 2010 at 19:42

Just proof that Gordon Brown is the low of the low. Do we want these muppets running our country. None of the three major parties are any different, It’s all about feathering their own nests and gaining access to number 10, Oh yes and of course the BIG payrise!!! They may have been educated to high standards, but these sort of individuals have no insight into how the rest of the population live, they are not aware of how some genuine families live on the borderline, and they dont give a damn. None of these parties can put us back on our feet, its going to take years. All us everyday folk know what is needed:
1. STOP IMMIGRATION.
2. STOP GIVING SIXTEEN YEAR OLDS HOUSES DUE TO PREGNANCY. MAKE THEM THEIR PARENTS RESPONSIBILITY UNTIL THEY ARE IN WORK.
3. GET THE YOUTHS OFF THE STREETS BY PUTTING THEM IN THE FORCES IF THEY ARE NOT WORKING.
4. STOP GIVING OUT FAMILY CREDIT TO THOSE COUPLES WHO ARE LIVING TOGETHER AND CLAIMING THEY ARE NOT.

5. STOP UNIVERSITY FEES.

Come on just common sense is needed to get this Country back on its feet.

We all know what is going to happen, there will be no hung parliment!! Labour will get back in, due to the fact people are so used to them they will say better the devil you know. My vote will not go to any of them!!!

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5
Griff

April 29, 2010 at 06:25

If that is what he thinks of what appeared to be a very loyal, mature, lifelong supporter who was polite and asked very sensible pertinent questions, then what does he really think about those who have very grave doubts about him, his policies and oppose his disastrous reign as Chancellor and (Unelected) P.M.?

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6
Peter

April 29, 2010 at 10:57

Griff,

One of the ‘sensible pertinent questions’ Mrs Duffy asked was ‘These Eastern Europeans – where are they all flocking from?’

Now in the face of such a blatantly stupid question, I think anyone might have muttered a few exasperated comments when back in the privacy of their own vehicle. It’s just unfortunate that one of Murdoch’s press saw fit to make those private comments public.

As for your comments about an unelected PM, check your ballot paper next week. It won’t say anywhere that you’re voting for a PM. Even if you’re in the constituency of one of the potential Prime Ministers, you’re not voting for a PM, you’re voting for a party. Numerous Prime ministers have been put into office over the years without a general election – amongst them John Major, Jim Callaghan, and even Winston Churchill on one occasion.

It’s astonishing that people who are about to vote in an important election have so little knowledge of how our democratic processes work.

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7
Griff

April 30, 2010 at 10:54

I don’t need the lecture, I, like most people know how our ‘democratic’ processes work. They are just exasperated by the way it ‘works’. The sarcasm was lost.
It is a pity that Brown and his aides were not intelligent enough to realise that he was still attached to a microphone which had probably been installed just a few minutes earlier!. His two faced nature nicely distilled.
Mrs Duffy, probably, knows where Eastern Europe is, the question that she should have asked was ‘why do they come here?’ The answer is that few British people, especially school leavers want to get their hands dirty.
It is not in dispute that Brown was the most
disastrous chancellor in recent history.

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8
Peter

April 30, 2010 at 15:15

Griff,

‘It is not in dispute that Brown was the most
disastrous chancellor in recent history.’

Nonsense.

During the period of his chancellorship, we have seen inflation kept under control – we haven’t seen the frightening levels of runaway inflation we saw under the last Tory regime.

The current debt crisis was caused by the failure of global capitalism on a huge scale. Our debt to GDP ratio went from 43% to over 70% overnight as a result of the government being forced to bail out the banks – an action that even the Tories now grudgingly admit was the right thing to do.

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9
Simon

April 30, 2010 at 23:12

Josephine Easter at #4 suggests 5 “solutions” but they are wholly impractical. Stop immigration – does she mean completely – if so that’s a guaranteed way of bringing this country to its knees. Pregnant 16 year olds and housing…behave. Putting youths in the forces to keep them off the street…are you aware how many offenders are traumatised volunteer ex services never mind how many would result from a conscripted force when such a thing is unaffordable and unnecessary. Family Credit and university fees?

The majority of the electorate in this country have been centre left (by voting pattern) in modern history. That is to say a sense of tolerance, fairness and decency prevails. And yet the editorial staff of our most popular tabloids are on a mission to instil an attitude of rightwing intolerance and irrationality. My simple advice to Josephine would be to question and investigate all tabloid newspaper and politician’s opinions.

In recent weeks I have receieved leaflets from many political parties. The BNP and Ukip I am inclined to dismiss as either limited intellect bigots or well to do bigots. Neither represents me or any of the values I hold dear. By tradition I have voted Labour but some aspects of that party’s current tenure displease me. The Tories to me represent the intolerant values of the Express and Mail. The country I live in is better than the bile put forward by such publications. Even before “Cleggmania” kicked in I was leaning towards the Lib Dems. They won’t wim as our odd voting system allows for a majority government on a minority of votes. But they might just hold parliament to account. That must be worth a vote.

All that having been said the main article was about Mr Brown’s “bigot” comment. It may have been intended as private but it is a matter of public record. Mrs Duffy merely expressed her concerns. I thought Mr Brown dealt with them quite adequately, but his unguarded comment made a political issue out of nothing.

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10
Peter

May 3, 2010 at 21:21

Simon,

I find myself much in agreement with you. Brown’s comment was unfortunate, but I would also have to question the motives and standards of the Murdoch press who chose to make public what was in effect a private comment made inside his car.

I would feel a lot happier about the forthcoming election if I felt that people were going to vote on issues rather than on perceived personality. Let’s not forget that a couple of weeks ago, many potential voters didn’t know who Nick Cleggg was – yet after one TV airing they were willing to vote for him. Can they really have examined in depth the policies of all the parties? Or is it instead some sort of ‘X Factor’ popularity contest?

I fear it will be the latter and whoever wins, that can’t be good for our democracy.

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