I'm voting for Brown

For non British readers, the UK election campaign was today overtaken by incumbent Prime Minister, Gordon Brown (Labour Party - centre left) being caught out making unguarded remarks when he didn't realise the mike was still on. You can see it all here:-



Long short is the woman who buttonholed him said "You can't say anything about the immigrants ..." in the sense of "I resent immigrants but political correctness is such that one daren't mention the issue." Once in his car, Brown refers to her as a "bigoted woman".

The PM is now being slagged off for being dismissive of ordinary people's views by EVERYBODY including, I regret to say, the BBC. You can read a particularly humbuggy piece from the BBC here.

But what if what he'd been caught saying in the car "I liked her, she obviously hates immigrants - let's get her on board ..."? It would have been "Racist Brown" in the headlines.

Let's be clear. The woman the media are portraying as helpless widowed old grandmother who works with children clearly evinced an aversion to immigrants - watch the tape again. Then, when Brown in an unguarded moment which he thinks is in private criticises her for evincing a view which is contrary to his party's view, he gets slagged off! Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

But enough of the issues, what about the more important issue of the personalities?

I think the man must be a saint.Watch the YouTube vid above again. Right at the beginning where the old trout buttons him, he goes "Yes?" in exactly the same tone as the bit in the Irish Builders episode of Fawlty where the ladies button Basil and he goes "Oh God ..." but recovers his aplomb in the blink of an eye and then engages her for several minutes.

If I'd been Brown, I couldn't have stood there that long while the old rat bag harangued me. After about 20 seconds, I'd have said  "Ah, go boil your head and vote for the Tories if you feel that strongly about it you old cow ..."

But he didn't and then when he got into what he thought was the privacy of the car, what was the reaction of the allegedly volcanic tempered Prime Minister who bullies his staff? He says "It's ridiculous". I think it shows him in a very good light for being remarkably mild mannered after what had undoubtedly been a "disaster". 

Needless to say a carefully choreographed apology had to be orchestrated later in the day at the old witch's house out of which the Prime Minister afterwards emerged with more of a spring in his step.

                                        

I suspect tomorrow's papers will be crowded with pictures of the BNP (far right anti-immigrant party) candidate on that same doorstep. Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame Gillian ...