Gordon Brown.....

[sovietsong]

lol @ all the people coming out saying what a twat gordon brown is.  how many times have you said something behind somebodies back even if it wasnt based on absolute fact?

I do it all the time, especially about tightend.

I'm certainly no fan of Brown, (Or any of the others for that matter) but I think it's a sad reflection on our country if elections are decided on issues as trivial as this.

I cannot stand the man and agree with the above posts.

I have lolled so much at the number of posters on this thread that you'll find on various other threads giving it the "freedom of speech" blether.

He had a thought about the woman, that she was a bigot (rightly or wrongly) he said so, where's his right to freedom of speech?

Get a life ffs

Geo

What he actually did/said isn't that interesting in itself, but the underlying problem is with his personality and judgement.

Basically if he can be such a tit after such a mild confrontation, how confident can you be that he won't go on political tilt at any political negotiation when something which is actually important is on the line?

comparing his private reaction to a woman giving him some abuse and that in a political environment is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.  

He was in a car talking to an aide - he was at work, in a work setting, it's not like he was down the pub talking to friends.

I think it speaks volumes about his judgement and his ability, if he tilts that easily it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that he'll always be making +EV decisions.

at work or down the pub makes no difference to me, i slag more people off at work than i do in the pub!

[ripple11]

lol @ all the people coming out saying what a twat gordon brown is.  how many times have you said something behind somebodies back even if it wasnt based on absolute fact?

I do it all the time, especially about tightend.

I'm certainly no fan of Brown, (Or any of the others for that matter) but I think it's a sad reflection on our country if elections are decided on issues as trivial as this.

I cannot stand the man and agree with the above posts.

I have lolled so much at the number of posters on this thread that you'll find on various other threads giving it the "freedom of speech" blether.

He had a thought about the woman, that she was a bigot (rightly or wrongly) he said so, where's his right to freedom of speech?

Get a life ffs

Geo

What he actually did/said isn't that interesting in itself, but the underlying problem is with his personality and judgement.

Basically if he can be such a tit after such a mild confrontation, how confident can you be that he won't go on political tilt at any political negotiation when something which is actually important is on the line?

comparing his private reaction to a woman giving him some abuse and that in a political environment is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.  

He was in a car talking to an aide - he was at work, in a work setting, it's not like he was down the pub talking to friends.

I think it speaks volumes about his judgement and his ability, if he tilts that easily it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that he'll always be making +EV decisions.

+1


.....and wow 50K for the story!......enjoy the 15 min of fame!

[thetank]

I don't think this will cost him the election (that ship has sailed)

It's just a gaffe. It's not going to change people's minds. People who are anti-Labour anyway will use it as a stick to beat him with and the news media will come along for the ride but I don't think the historians will point to this incident as being the game changer in 2010.

[bobAlike]

I don't think this will cost him the election (that ship has sailed)

It's just a gaffe. It's not going to change people's minds. People who are anti-Labour anyway will use it as a stick to beat him with and the news media will come along for the ride but I don't think the historians will point to this incident as being the game changer in 2010.

+1

Personally I think he's a twat, he was a crap chancellor and a crap PM.

His comments today have made no difference to my thoughts on him. He's crap!

[TightEnd]

I agree

the key issue is whether the vote goes from 27% labour to say 23% (1983 low) and thus gives the Tories more hope of avoiding a hung parliament

Even if it does have an impact on that scale on the Labour vote (which I doubt), you'd assume most deserters will go LibDem..

Summary...with LibDems at 30, Tories still need several % more than current 33-35% to get over the line

Hung Parl still odds on

[Bongo]

It's his job to make a persuasive case for his arguments, he shouldn't be calling this woman a bigot in private - he should be explaining the benefits the immigrants bring to Britain etc.

[KeithyB]

is it........texture like sun ?

[George2Loose]

lol @ all the people coming out saying what a twat gordon brown is.  how many times have you said something behind somebodies back even if it wasnt based on absolute fact?

I do it all the time, especially about tightend.

I'm certainly no fan of Brown, (Or any of the others for that matter) but I think it's a sad reflection on our country if elections are decided on issues as trivial as this.

I cannot stand the man and agree with the above posts.

I have lolled so much at the number of posters on this thread that you'll find on various other threads giving it the "freedom of speech" blether.

He had a thought about the woman, that she was a bigot (rightly or wrongly) he said so, where's his right to freedom of speech?

Get a life ffs

Geo

What he actually did/said isn't that interesting in itself, but the underlying problem is with his personality and judgement.

Basically if he can be such a tit after such a mild confrontation, how confident can you be that he won't go on political tilt at any political negotiation when something which is actually important is on the line?

comparing his private reaction to a woman giving him some abuse and that in a political environment is one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.  

He was in a car talking to an aide - he was at work, in a work setting, it's not like he was down the pub talking to friends.

I think it speaks volumes about his judgement and his ability, if he tilts that easily it doesn't exactly inspire confidence that he'll always be making +EV decisions.

at work or down the pub makes no difference to me, i slag more people off at work than i do in the pub!

John I have no idea what you do but have you never insulted someone after a meeting or a crap day at work. I know I have. Shit happens. I agree he should have dealt with the situation much better but saying what he said is hardly a slight on how he would govern.

FWIW I think Brown is uninspiring and uncharasmatic but that was before this incident

[sovietsong]

this can't be right - me and george agreeing?  worlds gone mad.

[ripple11]

Meets a life time labour voter, in front of the press.
Answers points pretty good and comes across fairly well (for Brown!)
 Shakes hand, as she praises the education system, and wishes her well and makes a joke.

"disaster"  "ridiculous"  "bigot" "should never put me with that woman"........

[booder]

is it........texture like sun ?

[thetank]

Did anyone see Cameron show off his impromptu debating skillz with the mad libdem student heckling him the other day?

Thought he did quite well tbh. First time I've seen him and not thought "twat"

[thetank]

Probs called her an ignorant dyke or summit off camera but he gets away with it coz he runs goot.

[AndrewT]

I don't think this will cost him the election (that ship has sailed)

It's just a gaffe. It's not going to change people's minds. People who are anti-Labour anyway will use it as a stick to beat him with and the news media will come along for the ride but I don't think the historians will point to this incident as being the game changer in 2010.

I think it might.

The white, working class, vote is one that Labour really needs. Many of these outside of the SE of England naturally gravitate towards Labour. They have genuine concerns about immigration but aren't racist - Gordon Brown has revealed what he really thinks of them. In recent years they'd drifted off to vote UKIP or maybe BNP, but the votes of those parties are collapsing. As the Tories are still too posh to get this vote those people were likely to come back to Labour in this election (hence the bounce in the polls they had in the run-up to the election).

Now Gordon Brown has been caught out placating them in public but then bitching about them when he thinks no one's listening, basically admitting that he thinks these people are stupid racists. He then goes round for a cup of tea and comes out, all fake smiles, saying everything is all right now.

Even if these voters don't turn to UKIP/BNP and just stay at home on election day they'll do a lot of damage, especially when the % share of the vote may be a factor in deciding balance of power in a hung parliament.

The other reason this is important is because it really highlights the 'Brown is a petulant child' narrative that, so far, has only been reported second hand (shouting at and hitting staff, the temper tantrums). The whole country has now seen Brown throwing a hissy fit  - is this the kind of guy that should be running the country?

[Acidmouse]

they *being politicians and leaders* do this all the time, fact..

I am so suprised its big news, shows you how low things have stooped that this is turning into a huge debate.