Brown campaign suffers blow in ‘bigot’ blunder

GORDON Brown’s campaign suffered a self-inflicted blow yesterday when he was forced to apologise publicly and in person after branding a pensioner “bigoted”.

Brown went to 65-year-old Gillian Duffy’s home in Rochdale to offer his personal apology.

He emerged after almost 45 minutes to declare himself a “penitent sinner” who was “mortified” at what he had done.

The British Prime Minister’s comment – caught on microphone as he drove away from a campaign event in Rochdale – overshadowed Labour’s efforts to highlight their policies on crime and the economy.

And the row interrupted Brown’s preparations for tonight’s crucial TV debate, when he will come under even greater pressure as he goes head-to-head with David Cameron and Nick Clegg for the last time before the May 6 general election.

Brown’s gaffe came after he was buttonholed by the former council worker, who asked him a series of questions about the economy, tax, universities and immigration.

The discussion ended amicably, and the widow – who said she was a lifelong Labour voter – said she had found the PM “nice” and intended to vote for him by post.

But as Brown was swept away in his car, he told an aide the encounter had been “a disaster”, unaware that his words were being transmitted by a Sky News radio microphone which he had forgotten to remove.

“That was a disaster,” the PM said. “They should never have put me with that woman.”

Asked what Duffy had said, he replied: “She was just a bigoted woman.”

When informed of his comments, Duffy said she was “very upset” and wanted an apology.

“He’s an educated person. Why has he come out with words like that? He’s supposed to be leading the country and he’s calling an ordinary woman who’s come up and asked questions ... a bigot.”

Brown later apologised during a live interview on BBC radio, saying he had been frustrated at not being able to answer her questions about immigration.

As his comments were played back to him, the PM put his head in his hands and said: “I do apologise if I said anything which is hurtful and I will apologise to her personally ... I apologise profusely to the lady concerned.”

The PM then phoned Duffy, before breaking off from preparations for the TV debate to drive from Manchester to Rochdale to speak to her in person.

Following their private meeting at her home, he told reporters: “I am mortified by what has happened. I have given her my sincere apologies.

“I misunderstood what she said. She has accepted that there was a misunderstanding and she has accepted my apology. If you like, I am a penitent sinner.”

Yesterday’s scenes came after Labour changed its campaign tactics to give the Prime Minister more exposure to ordinary voters, following complaints that he had been spending too much time talking only to small groups of supporters.

Unusually, he was not accompanied on yesterday’s visit by his wife Sarah, considered to have a more sure touch than the PM when dealing with the public.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne said Brown’s comments “speak for themselves”, adding: “The thing about general elections is that they reveal the truth about people.

“What people will see is the contrast between what he was saying publicly and what he was saying privately.”

And Liberal Democrat leader Clegg said: “If you are answering people’s questions, you have got to answer those questions with a sense of respect, whatever you think of them, not insult them. He is right to have apologised.”

Labour’s campaign chief Lord Mandelson accepted there was “no justification” for Brown’s words, but insisted he had been speaking in the heat of the moment and did not believe Duffy was a bigot.