John
04-29-2010, 06:46 AM
With just a week left until the General Election and polls showing the parties still deadlocked, Labour strategists have been billing Thursday evening's economy-themed clash as an opportunity for the Prime Minister to turn the tide of the campaign.
But thanks to his unguarded comments about Gillian Duffy, overheard on a stray microphone, Mr Brown's personality is again centre stage.
In an email to party activists, the premier offered them the same "profound" apology he had made to Mrs Duffy, and promised they would see him in a different "context" in the debate.
"Many of you know me personally," he wrote. "You know I have strengths as well as weaknesses. We all do. You also know that sometimes we say and do things we regret. I profoundly regret what I said."
But the Tories claimed the real Gordon Brown had been exposed, while the British National Party sought to capitalise with adverts saying he had demonstrated the "contempt" in which mainstream politicians held ordinary people's views.
The developments came after a dramatic day of campaigning which saw the gaffe overshadow all discussion of policy.
The premier was canvassing in Rochdale when he met retired council worker Mrs Duffy, who asked him a series of questions including about benefits and the eastern Europeans who had been "flooding" into Britain.
The discussion ended amicably, and the widow - who said she was a lifelong Labour voter - said she had found the PM "nice" and intended to vote for him by post.
But as Mr Brown was swept away in his car, he told an aide the encounter had been "a disaster", unaware that his words were being transmitted by a Sky News radio microphone which he had forgotten to remove.
But thanks to his unguarded comments about Gillian Duffy, overheard on a stray microphone, Mr Brown's personality is again centre stage.
In an email to party activists, the premier offered them the same "profound" apology he had made to Mrs Duffy, and promised they would see him in a different "context" in the debate.
"Many of you know me personally," he wrote. "You know I have strengths as well as weaknesses. We all do. You also know that sometimes we say and do things we regret. I profoundly regret what I said."
But the Tories claimed the real Gordon Brown had been exposed, while the British National Party sought to capitalise with adverts saying he had demonstrated the "contempt" in which mainstream politicians held ordinary people's views.
The developments came after a dramatic day of campaigning which saw the gaffe overshadow all discussion of policy.
The premier was canvassing in Rochdale when he met retired council worker Mrs Duffy, who asked him a series of questions including about benefits and the eastern Europeans who had been "flooding" into Britain.
The discussion ended amicably, and the widow - who said she was a lifelong Labour voter - said she had found the PM "nice" and intended to vote for him by post.
But as Mr Brown was swept away in his car, he told an aide the encounter had been "a disaster", unaware that his words were being transmitted by a Sky News radio microphone which he had forgotten to remove.