Who feels sorry for Gordon???

he's screwed up our pensions; cost me loads each year in extra tax; thrown our money at the health service with no thought for reform or efficiency improvements; encouraged councils in the south to raise council tax to excessive levels. and done very little to improve my life. why should i feel sorry for someone who's obviously two faced and not up to the job

Her views were bigoted. Nothing wrong in commenting on this to his colleague in private. He is not condemning his electorate. He is calling a spade a spade. The only wrong in this, is turning it into something newsworthy.

My dh is East European. He has created many jobs for Brits during his time in the UK.

I take offense to anybody labelling foreigners in the way this woman did. I am one myself. I remember standing on a bus stop listening to some woman ranting to me about all those foreigners coming taking jobs, and what not. I told her, "I am sorry, I dont want to listen to this, I am a foreigner, and I am not taking anybodys jobs, I am paying a fortune in tuition fees for the privilege of being her, as opposed to "Home students" ". She said "oh but you are ok, I cant see that you are foreign".

I hail Gordon Brown for recognizing bigotry in the face of it, and for responding to her with dignity in front of the camera. It is not like he said to her face: "You are ill informed, bigoted and racist." Now, THAT would be newsworthy.

I've only read the OP. No, I don't really feel sorry for Gordon. What I find strange about the whole episode is that the chat with that woman actually went well I thought. And when the press spoke to her immediately after it she said she'd be voting for him. However, he seemed to think it was a disaster. Quite odd.

I do.

I was not going to vote Labour anyhow, but I do feel for him. It was not a public statement, merely an opinion expressed to a colleague. Blown out of all proportion.

I think his grovelling apology made it worse.

The idea that it's a non-story is wishful thinking, really. If Cameron had been caught the same way mn people would be saying "aha this shows what he's really like we knew we couldn't trust him so how can we trust him on policies" etc etc etc

It's natural of course to feel loyal to one's political party but, completely dispassionately, it really is a story. So much of this election and the future of the economy is about confidence, confidence, confidence. That starts with trust, and this gets to the heart of it. Yes, the journalists were completely untrustworthy but you don't vote for them and they won't be running the country.

With confidence comes consumer spending. With confidence comes business investment. With confidence comes an improved credit rating. The importance of this unquantifiable chimera, confidence, might be deplored but tough luck. It's central to the next year of policy and investment.

That's why Brown's advisors don't agree that it's a non story. They know it's enormous.

ninna, the whole country is getting older. The disrespect and contempt that politicians, particularly Labour ones have for the older generation was shown by that Labour candidate in Scotland, who disgracefully referred to older voters as coffin dodgers. It is very important for us the public to get a glimpse of what the high and mighty in politics really think of us. That way we know whether they are lying to us when they tell us they are the listening party and that they have our concerns at heart. It could make all the difference in whether we get shafted or not.

As a matter of interest, I am 61. Most of my friends are in their 60's also. We do not consider ourselves old. You wait. You won't think you're old when you reach 60 either!

There were reports that Mrs. Duffy didn't want to speak to him again. I bet he and his advisers begged her to allow him into the "bigot's" home. If she had refused to have anything more to do with him, it would have spelt the end of the election for him. He counts his blessings that she was gracious enough to put up with him for 40 minutes in her home. That was the only way that he could salvage anything out of his desparate situation. As his entire cavalacade turned around and made a bee-line for the "bigot's" home, his advisers must have been mightily relieved that "some old bigoted woman" would allow him to display his rictus grin and make his most sincere apologies.

Yeah, no big deal.
I hate the way the news has become a monster that is hungry 24hrs a day!
They're trying to find ways to make this hugely significant when really it isn't - I think the media are really out of step with what ordinary folk are saying on this one - does anyone really think that Cameron, Clegg, Churchill, Thatcher, Blair... aren't guilty of having muttered something rude about the punters? He got caught in an unguarded moment - big deal.
FWIW my reading of the situation is that he was exaggerating the exchange to try to make his aide feel bad!
But that idle speculation aside, can we get back to policies? I'm not 100% sure who's getting my vote, but this won't have swayed me in the slightest, I'm just annoyed that the airwaves are full of nonsense above substance yet again!

Me too! Me too!

I want to join the "This is media bollox! Enough already! Do your job - tell us some news! About things we could do with being told about!" gang.

Agree Orm.

Exactly. This is a NON story just exacerbated and built up to a frenzy by the press, and the press alone.

People are going to be convinced that this is a big issue because the media say it is.

Christ knows what Cameron would say in private about poor people when he goes on his 'caring' missions around estates.

Probably oh god why do I have to talk to these plebs.

Agree Orm. The media coverage of this election is now really pissing me off.

I think it's a symptom of being tired and ratty from being on the road and the stress of the election.

I feel sorry for him, I quite like his grumpiness and temper. He's not as smooth as Blair or Mandelson or Cameron, so I like him more.

"really resent the media telling us it was a pivotal moment and will decide the election.Yeah because they decided it was "

Well exactly.

I've noticed in the last few weeks that it's getting more and more acceptable to make racist comments vieled under the cloak of 'condern about immigration'. Maybe it's just because I'm an immigrant and many of them are directed at me.

Anyhoo....In a strange kind of way I'm actually glad he made that remark. He labelled it what it is, bigotry. I don't think he handled the aftermath very well. But he was caught between a rock and a hard place.

xpost with kerstina

He only went to her house because if he didn't, the press would say he refused to apologise.

Everyone I know vents under times of stress, either in the car, when they put the phone down, when they come in in the evening. Not really a big deal and I'm sure Cameron says much much worse.

What I found more telling was how badly he thought the encounter had gone. Most politicians would have considered it a success but he is obviously so used to being told he is useless with the general public that paranoia has set in (or vice versa).

As much as I have respect for him and think his treatment is unfair at best, it has reached the point where he is unsustainable. As PM you don't necessarily need the press behind you, but you certainly don't need them berating your every action all day every day.

Yes i really felt for him watching the news yesterday i did not know whether to laugh or cry ! He keeps putting his foot in it poor Gordon .
Think sky news were totally out of order broadcasting his private conversation and really resent the media telling us it was a pivotal moment and will decide the election.Yeah because they decided it was .It is up to US.
She was bigoted in her views probably gets her views from the sun newspaper.
The only thing that i found disheartening is the way he doubted how he handled the conversation with Gillian Duffy showed a lack of confidence. She did seem really in his face though.
I have voted by post this morning.

I feel sorry for him. I'd have just called her a mad old bat and been done with it.

It seems very odd to me that Sky didn't think to retreive their mic before he got into the car though, or at least turned it off once he'd finished. It's almost as though they were trying to get something juicy. And I don't even think this is that juicy TBH. Woman shouts at man. Man is polite to woman. Man gets in car. Man vents about mad woman.

BTW my mum is a dear old lady, well she's dear to me, and also in many ways very generous and open, but also in many other ways a bigot.

Elvis impersonators, Peppa Pig fiasco and now this - obviously can't make sound PR judgements and he comes across as a bully.