Who feels sorry for Gordon???

He didn't pull her up on it because he thinks he's got to play the media game which he's always going to loose because he just doesn't have naturally good media skills. I really wish he would speak out about what a sham it is that all the parties have to go through this rigmarole of smiling for the camera and getting people to like them when it has no relation to how they would run the country. GB has previously made comments about how he dislikes celebrity culture and the impact it has throughout society but he hasn't followed through on it because he'll be surrounded by people telling him what he needs to do to get his popularity ratings up.

It would be far better for Labour if they had someone of his intellect who could do the media thing well too though.

BELLBEll How can you say the woman was a bigot because she asked a qestion on immigration? The woman should be able to ask whatever question she likes, she's paying his wages, in fact all MP's wages.. I do agree though that Gordon Brown comes across as a conviction politician, unlike others. Gordon Brown appears uncomfortable with the media.

everyone subscribed to it- now Gordon is scapegoated

Spot on@Belle

"i hope all the tory voters won't come moaning on here five years hence about education cuts, increased hospital waiting lists..."

All the parties are going to make cuts. They have to because there is no money. GB spent what we had and then spent some more that we don't have. Your DC will be paying for GB's spending spree for years to come; he has mortgaged their future. It was not a sustainable level of spending.

If she was a bigot, why didn't he pull her up on it? Has he got the courage of his convictions? He would have won points with the public if he stamped down on bigots wherever they are. The reality is she wasn't a bigot, he is a two-faced coward who could only mutter things behind her back. He thanked the bigot and told her how nice it was to meet her. He was angry that she had dared to question some of his policies, he thought it was "ridiculous" that she should be allowed to question him, after all she was a life-long Labour voter, didn't she know that the great man knows best? Why should he have to explain himself to a member of the public? He had his expense forms to fill in.

agree totally belle belle - esp about the definition of bigoted

I do.

I also despair of the 'personality politics' which we are subjected to. About 15 years ago a teacher explained in a politics class that in the US voters tended to vote for the Presidential candidate they liked based on their personality rather than the political party and policies they represented. At the time I thought it ridiculous but look at us now.

The most brilliant people I've worked for and with in the past (and now) have been complete bastards. Really difficult personalities, liable to fly off the handle, temperamental and opinionated but absolutely amazing at their jobs. I would far rather have a grumpy, awkward but completely capable GB at the helm than DC and Clegg who might play well in the media but lack backbone when it comes to the crunch. I'd want Gordon on my team in a fight.

Also would have loved it if GB had apologised but pointed out that that women had been expressing bigotted views. I think that loads of people don't even understand what a bigot is and that their views could be classed as bigotted. Of course she was upset because it's a horrible thing to be called but it was accurate.

I've never voted Labour before but think I might.

Have you forgotten all the Tory sleaze? It wasn't that long ago. I know who I would rather hedge my bets with.

APW: have you really forgotten the dodgy dossier, the death of David Kelly etc? Shame on you.

GB handled this really badly. Remember last year when Labour lost out big time to the BNP in the north west. He should have been expecting questions along these lines and have pat answers ready to woo back his own supporters. He shouldn't be slagging them off.

NOTANOTTER Why is the women a bigot for talking about immigration? Is it forbidden?

Don't feel sorry for him about this "bigot" saga.
Sounds like she is, and he is allowed an opinion.

but i do feel sorry for him, cos he's the underdog

i hope all the tory voters won't come moaning on here five years hence about education cuts, increased hospital waiting lists...

I honestly do not think a huge swathe of the electorate have properly grasped the damage Thatcher did to our society (and how she contributed to a generally negative, damaging shift in world politics). I find it very sad.

To be fair re: immigration - the way all parties cling to immigration as an election winner makes me sick. It is such a heavily manipulated, distorted subject, which absolutely plays on voter's basest instincts.

Disaster, you can not go around saying these sort of things,particularly if you are the Prime Minister.He should know by now.

I do feel sorry for him but he is not getting my vote.

'what he thinks of the electorate'

how can you turn a comment about one woman into how he feels about the voting nation?

many people would agree she was a bigot
He is hardly going to condemn her to her face - is he supposed to be an angel?

CLAIG Yes Gordon does need a break, it's called a new job!

Why feel sorry for him? He has shown his 'life long labour supporter' what he really thinks of her! the poor woman asks a quesstion about immigraion and is then called a bigot in private. It just shows what he really thinks of the electorate, not much! He was right it was an absolute disaster!!

i think people have memory loss wrt the thatcher years...

Oh ^please^@fembear. The Tories aren't some powerless little sub-party waiting on Labour's direction. Do you not remember the Thatcher years?[hmm} They are the biggest war-mongers of the lot of them when it suits them.

the other day i was out in town with my 17 year old son. Sitting at the lovely bandstand watching out little boys playing - i stared forward whilst speaking to ds1 who was next to me - bitching about a local woman ( used to be celebrity) who was loudly parenting... I said to ds ' bloody woman - grates on my nerves cannot bear her' then I howled with laughter as i said to DS ' I sound like Prince Charles about Nicholas Witchell'

sorry but it's all the same - Gordon is human - rather that than a smooth faced automaton

the other day i was out in town with my 17 year old son. Sitting at the lovely bandstand watching out little boys playing - i stared forward whilst speaking to ds1 who was next to me - bitching about a local woman ( used to be celebrity) who was loudly parenting... I said to ds ' bloody woman - grates on my nerves cannot bear her' then I howled with laughter as i said to DS ' I sound like Prince Charles about Nicholas [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-SGCxRUtXM Witchell'

sorry but it's all the same - Gordon is human - rather that than a smooth faced automaton

"don't recall the Tories or Lib Dems disagreeing"

The LibDems did/do disagree. The Tories backed it because (naively) they believed the lies that Blair/Brown told them.

Did we ever find the weapons of mass destruction that were only 45 minutes away?

"he needs a break"

by God we need one too, roll on May 6th.