Well the only good thing, from Labour’s perspective, is that this has happened the day before the final debate and not several days before it. So there’s just a chance it will be a 36 hour story, not a 72 hours one. Clearly it’s not a great idea for the Prime Minister to be heard calling a middle-aged widow he’s just encountered on the mean streets of Rochdale a terrible “bigoted woman”.
The video is excruciating and demonstrates why Labour have generally been wise to keep Gordon away from the general public during this campaign:
The comments once Brown has escaped to the supposed-safety of his car are pretty awful, but it’s the small talk with Gillian Duffy that is truly painful. Here’s a man who, whatever his other qualities, is not cut out for modern retail politics. Anyway, the tape isn’t 100% clear but here’s the juicy bit:
Immediately following her discussion with Mr Brown, Mrs Duffy said she would vote Labour and thought the PM was “nice”.
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