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Can Gordon Brown survive Hurricane Bigotgate?
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Candidate
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| Contributor | Scott³ |
| Last Edited | Scott³ Apr 29, 2010 12:56am |
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| Category | Analysis |
| Author | Jonathan Freedland |
| Media | Newspaper - Guardian |
| News Date | Thursday, April 29, 2010 06:55:00 AM UTC0:0 |
| Description | "The pressure was always going to be on Gordon Brown today. That much was clear from the diary weeks ago, the moment 29 April was scheduled for the last TV debate, focusing on Brown's strongest suit, the economy. According to Labour's masterplan, tonight would be the night when the prime minister would close the deal, bringing wavering voters round by persuading them that, whatever his flaws, he was the man to secure Britain's recovery.
Well, at least one part of that plan has come good: the pressure is indeed all on Brown today. But not in a way anyone foresaw, least of all Labour's own top brass. Instead the PM wakes up this morning hoping to survive a hurricane he unleashed on himself the day before.
It is a mammoth challenge. Not only must he concentrate on his debate prep - honing his arguments so that he improves on the third place the polls awarded him for his last two performances – he must also somehow close down the tale of Gillian Duffy and the mother of all gaffes he committed yesterday.
Somehow he needs to get people to move on from his branding of the widowed pensioner – who used to work with disabled children, for heaven's sake – as a "bigoted woman". That won't be easy. It's all over today's front pages and will be aired again and again on the morning radio phone-ins. Glumly, Brown will know that "bigotgate" will dominate the news agenda until 8.30pm tonight, when the debate begins." |
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