Gordon’s bigot gaffe could seal poll outcome for Labour
April 29th, 2010 - 12:40 pm ICT by IANS
London, April 29 (IANS) British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s chance encounter with a 65-year-old widow, who he called a “bigoted woman”, could seal the outcome of the general elections for Labour as “the party has lost not just hers, but potentially thousands of others who will listen to what she said”.
The incident came on the eve of the final televised leaders’ debate and some cabinet ministers are concerned that the gaffe had fatally undermined Labour’s campaign.
Brown was visiting Rochdale when Gillian Duffy called out to him. As part of the new “real voters” strategy, she was ushered by an aide to speak directly to him.
After their discussion was over, Brown who was still wearing a microphone recorded him when he turned to his aide Justin Forsyth, and said: “That was a disaster.”
He was then asked what Duffy had said.
Brown said: “Everything, she was just a sort of bigoted woman who said she used to be Labour.”
Gillian Duffy’s chance encounter with Brown could seal the outcome of the general election, The Telegraph reported.
Millions of voters who held the same view as Duffy’s on immigration, policing, education and the economy would feel slighted by Brown’s remarks, feared prime ministerial aides.
“To sustain its share of the vote and maximise the number of MPs it returns, Labour needs the votes of millions of traditional supporters like Mrs Duffy.
“The party has lost not just hers, but potentially thousands of others who will listen to what she said and find that they agree. Does Brown think they are all bigots too?” Lance Price, a former Downing Street adviser under Tony Blair, was quoted as saying.
Following the row, Brown called up Duffy to apologise and then went to her house to make another apology.
“I am mortified by what has happened. I have given her my sincere apologies,” Brown was quoted as saying.
Gillian told The Sun: “It’s awful the prime minister is going around talking to the electorate and then saying I’m a bigot when I’m not. It’s shocking what happened.
I’m not voting for him after what he called me. I’m very disappointed, it’s very upsetting.”
- Gordon Brown snubbed by woman in `bigot' row - Apr 30, 2010
- Brown's insensitive "bigot" remark could be Labour Party's final undoing - Apr 29, 2010
- British PM Gordon Brown apologizes for calling a woman as 'bigot' - Apr 29, 2010
- Gordon Brown's 'bigoted woman' gaffe among 'top 10 quotes of 2010' - Dec 15, 2010
- It is my duty to lead Britain: Brown - May 07, 2010
- 'Simples', 'tweetheart' and 'fauxmance' - new additions to dictionary! - Oct 27, 2010
- Austerity: 2010's most searched for term - Dec 21, 2010
- Frantic campaigning as Britain goes to polls Thursday - May 05, 2010
- Laura Ingraham accepts Ed Schultz's apology - May 27, 2011
- Indian origin candidate who called Brown worst PM loses - May 07, 2010
- Whoopi Goldberg apologizes to New York Times - Feb 17, 2011
- I've considered throwing in the towel, says Gillian Anderson - Mar 29, 2011
- No fashion tips for Lea Michele - Oct 05, 2011
- Kim Kardashian still believes in love - Mar 23, 2012
- Paltrow listens to Coldplay when hubby is away - Sep 07, 2011
Tags: aides, apology, april 29, bigot, bigots, british prime minister, british prime minister gordon brown, cabinet ministers, chance encounter, downing street, gaffe, general elections, gillian duffy, gordon brown, mps, prime minister gordon brown, rochdale, sincere apologies, tony blair, traditional supporters