The Bully the Bigot and the Old Woman. A Cautionary Tale

Well, they wanted Gordon to meet ‘real people’ but, now that he has, they might want to change their tactics after he was caught on microphone describing one of the ‘real people’ as a "bigoted woman".

During a visit to Rochdale, pensioner Gillian Duffy pulled him up on a number of issues including immigration, crime and the economy. 

After patronising the woman, in what was really nothing more than one of those uncomfortable moments that politicians have to face during an election, the Labour leader shot himself in the foot, before putting the foot firmly in his mouth.

His comments were made after he got into his car, not realising that he still had a Sky News microphone pinned to his shirt.

He told an aide: "That was a disaster - they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It's just ridiculous..."

Asked what she had said, he replied: "Everything, she was just a bigoted woman."

The problem for Brown was that immediately after the exchange she had said she would vote Labour. But after being told about his comments she said she would not.

The thing is that the fact that he thought it was “disastrous”. He certainly got off a lot lighter than Cameron did the day before when he was pulled up by a member of the public over his education policies. Having said that, the only difference might be the microphone. But when all said and done this would have remained a funny little story about the PM being ‘hand-bagged’ by a pensioner. It had no legs whatsoever.

Brown was "mortified" after being caught on microphone.

Exactly.

After being ‘caught’.

And since being caught we've heard nothing but how he “didn’t mean” what he said. Saying something that he doesn’t mean shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone. But - come off it – he meant this.    

Brown later skulked round to Gillian’s house to offer a grovelling apology.

But let’s face it - an apology from an MP is not worth shit these days.

A bigot is a person utterly, obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices. They show signs of obstinacy, irrationality and animosity toward those of differing devotion, creed, belief, or opinion.

Does that sound like Gillian Duffy or does it sum up Gordon Brown.

Ask the ‘real people’.

And good luck to Gillian. I hope she makes a few quid from selling her story to some red-topped rag.