Who feels sorry for Gordon???

His apology might have been believable if he hadn't had such a supercilious sneer on his face.

No love lost here!

Gorden Brown proved what kind of person he is. He thinks he ought to rule us all but is contemptuous of us and doesn't think he should have to have any contact with us on a personal level. If the microphone had been turned off, many people would have continued to be deluded about him. Lucky chance I think.

I feel sorry for both of them.

The only ones enjoying this are the media, who will quite happily harrass Gillian duffy in the name of a good story, and continue to bully GB (whilst they ironically bang on about him being a bully)

winner? Murdoch. I bet he is kicking himself this didn't happen before the sky debate, instead the viewing figures will benefit BBC.

Actually I'd like GB better if he was like that all the time, in my little fantasy world if the PM thought someone was being a bigot he'd be able to tell them to their face.

Unfortunatly, in reality, his feet probobly wouldn't have touched the ground on the way out of office..

And I would have had more respect for him if he had just been human and said "sorry - that was an almighty cock-up" - or words to that effect - rather than lie and say "I misunderstood what she said".

I do and I don't like him either.

I think it's more worrying that he didn't like being put in the position of talking to the public without it being stage-managed, rather than what he actually said though.

And even more worrying that his media team aren't looking after him properly. It doesn't say much for his management skills ...

meandjoe, Mrs. Duffy was a life-long Labour supporter. She didn't give him a hard time, she only asked questions that millions of voters across the country are concerned about. You can watch the full 5 minutes on the channel 4 website and read the transcript. She was chuffed that she had spoken to our great Prime Minister. She was devastated when the reporters told her what the Prime Minister thought of her. It was a shock to her, for us it was a wake-up call, we now know what he thinks about the views and concerns of ordinary people. That is why advisers and spin doctors in his ivory tower are running around like fruit flies on speed, trying to find a way to extricate him and the party from the disastrous situation he has got himself into. They'll tell us he cares for us, he wants to help us, he always listens to us, he wants to serve us, that is his whole life purpose. Unfortunately, we now know that he thinks we are ridiculous, he has contempt for our views and we know that he is prepared to grovel and do whatever is necessary to carry on pulling the wool over our eyes. Unfortunately for him, our eyes have been opened, we won't get fooled again.

I do feel sorry for Gordon Brown and I also believe that if it had been another party's mistake he wouldn't of made a big deal about it.

He has given the other leaders a shock and I bet they are double checking their mics now!!!!

Big up for Gordon- you haven't lost my vote just made me realise how human you really are!!!!

belle and kif I totally agree.

I was quite sorry for the woman though, when that awful producer made her cry for entertainment value. That is journalism for you! Hope she is proud of herself.

Oh and by the woman was a bigot because of her termenology... not because of the fact that she asked about immigration. She stated the fact that 'eastern europeans are flocking to thins country' using the word flocking like they are some kind of animal or unwanted pest. Was a stupid thing to say and Gordon had every right to say what he did. That said, I am a member of the Lib Dem Party and would never vote for Gordon but don't judge him because of this, jusdge him for the crap policies!

I do feel slightly sorry for him because we all bitch about people in the privacy of our own homes, it was an awful situation he was put in and of course he was not going to say nice things about the woman. BUT however, he is the PM and should really have checked that the sodding microphone was switched off!!!! He'e one of the most powerful men in the world. Whilst I don't judge him for what he said, I do judge him for not having the intellegence to disconnect the mic first!

I want a government who are going to look at and deal with immigration, I want to know that people who come to this country because of war or such in their homeland are going to be accepted and safeguarded, I want to know that the people who have much to offer are going to helped and Drs and trained people are not going to end up cleaning toilets and driving buses.

But I also want a government that are not going to be walked over, not going to let the country be filled with people (immigrant or home grown) who are going to take take take and put nothing in, we need better policy on immigration, we need a major shake up of the benefit system, we need someone to lead who is not going to lead us to a nanny state, and who is going to stand up and say these are the law's for everyone if you do not like the laws either leave or face the penalty for breaking them, and I want a leader who is not going to turn tail and back down every time some scumbag waves a human rights card.

Gorden Brown clearly does not have the back bone for the job as he will turn tail and back away from any issue he feels is a little complicated and might not be the guardian readers point of view.

If running the country was easy we would all want to do it, its a hard job and I think he is possible not up to it.

I do. And I don't even like him.

I do but I wont be voting for him now, as calling a woman a bigot because she raised the question of immigration clearly shows he will not deal with issues that he thinks might put him in a bad light (or he spends too much time on mumsnet ).

Why is it a non-story, I don't get that.

The whole election is about media manipulation. The whole election. You can't not know that.

at journalists bringing down the tone.. really, politicians are such a bevy of slimeballs they can only be brought down as low as they really are

This whole affair stinks of media manipulation.

It's a non story desperately pumped up for all it's worth by journos who are either idle or malicious - but certainly not interested in promoting and broadcasting good quality debate about the issues being faced by the country.

You might say Gordon hasn't been elected - but for sure no journalist has been elected to their post. I deeply resent them bringing down the tone of something as important as an election.

Murdoch should set up his own political party: "The Apathy Party - we work tirelessly to belittle anyone who goes into politics, to prove how pointless your vote is".

I do feel so sorry for him, especially tomorrow, when he has to do the last live debate. David Cameron will love humiliating him. Also the media is having a field day with this, he will not be allowed to forget it. mags43

I do think it's unfortunate it was broadcast, I actually think he was very restrained, I'm sure there might have been a quite a few swears in there if other people had been caught out. I don't really get the whole Gordon Brown caused the economic crisis thing tbh. Fine he did say "No more boom and bust" which he was obviously wrong about, he also sold gold at a very low price. However, I don't think there are many countries weathering the economic storm well. Presumably they can't have all sold gold at deflated prices. I think we would have been up shit creek regardless tbh.

I feel sorry for him but that does not mean he is PM material. Never was and never will be.
He lacks substance and moral fibre. I am a tory voter but I would be astonished if Blair, Major, Kinnock, Hague, Cameron, Clegg, Ashdown, Thatcher would have done the same in the same circumstances. The woman was an upstanding member of the electorate, asking reasonable questions AND she happened to be on his side.

Bad luck he got caught, but it has just confirmed all the rumours.

He is still trying to distance himself from himself aka the Damien McBride affair.

Bellbell I think the most damaging thing about his remark is how some of the public will now see him, immigration is a big political issue, and if members of the public can't ask genuine questions without that sort of response, then they aint gonna be happy! Has anyone noticed that Cameron has not had any bad publicity this campaign, or is their no dirt to dig up? Clegg and Brown have both had it thrown at them. Was dicussing this tonight with DH.

I think her comments about people flocking from Eastern Europe were bigoted. I know that she didn't go into detail but it seems that she was indicating that she thought there were too many Eastern Europeans living in the UK.

Just heard on the news that Gordon Brown has said that Mrs. Duffy is exactly the type of person that he went into politics to serve. Didn't sound like it in the car, but him and his spin doctors can certainly serve out some whoppers.