Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Ten reasons why this is a catastrophe for Brown and Labour

Every politician will be thinking “there but for the grace of God…” today – but the Gillian Duffy incident is not just a gaffe. It is bad for Gordon Brown and Labour on very many levels. Here are ten of them.
 
1. The image of the Politburo pulling away in the Jag, slagging off the proles. This confirms the idea of an elite, who sneer at voters in private but try to charm them in public. And the idea that politicians (of all parties) say one thing on camera, and another when they think no one is listening.

2. The is not just a gaffe, but the PM on tape insulting the voters. It’s the worst thing you can do in an election campaign (ie Obama¹s “cling to guns and religion” remark). Far worse than if Brown were, say, caught swearing, Nixon-style. That you could put down to stress.

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