On Gordon Brown and the “bigoted woman” gaffe
Have five minutes? Please watch this video … and hang in to the end, that's the interesting part. Hat tip: Wife in the North and Potty Mummy.
Yes, this interaction topped yesterday's election news. This is very sad as British political campaigns only last a mere few weeks. I can see this happening in the US, where elections last a lifetime, but come on… surely there are better topics to headline?
It wasn't one of Gordon Brown's most brilliant moments. Wife in the North points out that despite being dubbed a cybermum election, women are not shining this time round. Gordon is not being sexist… unfortunately I could just as easily imagine him leaving the mic on and making off the cuff comments about a male pensioner.
I'm more interested in the gaffe. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Our co-star Gillian Duffy is allowed to wonder about "all these Eastern Europeans coming in" and the availability of public services for "those that really need them" (American conservatives will recognise this). And Gordon Brown can form his own opinions too. It's just not in his best interest to broadcast them. Especially if they seem out of touch with his constituents.
Oh dear. I wonder if "Sue" still has her job?
Baby Changing Bags | 3rd Jun 10
I almost felt sorry for Gordon, but it’s quite ironic that a party that became famous for spin should get tripped up by leaving their microphone on.
martin | 20th May 10
She is a bigot; she was concerned at keeping Eastern Europeans out, that’s bigoted.
Like dozens of other thick brits, she has completely missed the point about free movement of goods and labour within the EU, they are free to come here, we are free to go there (or anywhere else within the EU).
People come here because english is widely spoken; we don’t go abroad because thick brits don’t do foreign languages.
Working Mum | 2nd May 10
I hadn’t seen this and hadn’t really bothered about it, but at it was on your blog, I thought I’d watch. I think the woman was a genuine voter who had concerns about her life and wanted to know what the government was going to do. Here was a chance for Gordon Brown to connect with his voters and answer her questions. I did not think she was bigoted in the slightest, she had her percepitons and worries and he should have taken her seriously. What bothers me is not that he used the word “bigot”, but that he clearly did not like talking to the voting public! Maybe it’s because he was never voted in as Prime Minister in the first place?
grit | 1st May 10
the offensive thing i found in the whole job was the way that gb expected all greeters to be screened and controlled dummies, pre-chosen for presenting to camera. it’s a measure of the control over the whole show that labour expects to be able to command – they clearly have a well organised army to bring to bear for such ‘public’ shows. sham comes to mind. people are messy, loud, opinionated, and uncontrollable. thank goodness.
EmmaK | 30th Apr 10
I suppose what I mostly thought when I watched the clip was his heart really isn’t in this governing lark is it? More than anything maybe that’s why he’s so unpopular. Say what you like about Tony Blair he grinned like a cheshire cat and burned with messianic fire even if he did turn out in retrospect to have been something of a cad.
angelsandurchinsblog | 30th Apr 10
For once, I felt sorry for the big GB, though I think his ‘gaff’ might have done him some favours because many voters would have to agree?
Antonella | 29th Apr 10
Sorry for me intruding again. But I think that most people who read The Sun and the Daily Mail don’t know what ‘bigot’ actually means, ie. a person who has strong or prejudiced opinions and will not listen to reasoned argument. It is a perfectly normal word not a swear word or even a real insult. And from what I’ve seen Mrs Duffy seems to be like that. Didn’t anybody hear her comment about East European immigrants?
Rock and Roll Mummy | 29th Apr 10
As usual the media whipping up a storm, I like Gordon he is only human and that woman was really annoying but just typical of a large majority of the older generation in the UK.
Expat Mum | 29th Apr 10
Well, this happens on a weekly basis here (in the States) so I must be jaded. He was an idiot for leaving his mike on, and I can’t stand it that he thought “ordinary” people shouldn’t be allowed to question him.
I also can’t stand people who lump all immigrants (or Eastern Europeans) together like that. I’m an immigrant and I resent all the crap that’s going on over here too. (When I say that in the States, you can almost see some people restraining themselves from saying “Oh but you’re not the kind of immigrant we mean.”)
She looked really shocked when told that he’d called her a bigot, which in turn, shocked me. (Sorry but this is a sore point for me. Too much ignorance of other people and races.)
nappyvalleygirl | 29th Apr 10
I actually feel quite sorry for GB in this instance – we all say things in the heat of the moment, and don’t expect to be caught on microphone. However I feel it might be the last straw for him, politically.
Iota | 29th Apr 10
Aside from that comment after the interview, he seemed very irritable when he was talking to the woman. It looked like he was having to dig deep to remember to ask about her grandchildren. But I guess we should be voting for his ability to run the country rather than for his ability to be smooth with the public.
Antonella | 29th Apr 10
I’m not a Gordon Brown fan either, but I really think that his “humiliation” was totally uncalled for. What if this old granny really is a bigoted woman? Just call a spade a spade, or not?
Metropolitan Mum | 29th Apr 10
Not a Gordon Brown fan, but this definitely is completely out of proportion. What he said wasn’t nice but it was, well, kinda right, no? Although some things should be kept to oneself, I believe.
cartside | 29th Apr 10
What he said was wrong, but it’s also wrong that these things can decide elections, that the media can latch onto this like a vampire.
I’m incredibly angry about his mistake which will give the media a welcome opportunity to sidetrack instead of focussing on policies and who the best party (yes, party) for this country is.
Very Bored Housewife | 29th Apr 10
I am not especially concerned about him calling the woman a bigot (although I think she asked a valid question and was given a reasonable answer), for me it was his reaction that some woman off the street could ask him such direct questions, he was heard to say ‘who put me with her’ as Prime Minister he should be able to handle difficult questions, people shouldn’t be screened before they speak to him (I am staunch Labour by the way).
All power to the media though that some Granny from Rochdale could have put the final nail in his political coffin.
A Modern Mother | 29th Apr 10
@bushmummy tonight’s debate will be interesting…. I have to say I do like the lack of mud slaying in British elections.
Bush Mummy | 29th Apr 10
I have to say I think the whole thing has been blown completely out of proportion.. as much as I don’t like Gordon Brown, he was just caught on the hop here. We all say things in the heat of the moment… although the woman didn’t really deserve to be called a bigot, the point is that he didn’t deserve the beating for making an off the cuff remark like that.. He must be exhausted and fed up with talking to people like that day in, day out.
Cut the guy some slack I say and move on.
BM x