Bigot is a pejorative term and ill chosen by Brown, not only in the circumstances of being caught on microphone but the subject of his comments being a straight talking northern grandma. But before we paint Mrs Duffy as the innocent victim and beatify her as the Mother Teresa of Rochdale lets rewind on the content. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/general_election/s/1236591_gordon_browns_bigot_gaffe__transcript
Mrs Duffy raised some subjects at the heart of both northern and national politics. National debt, crime and disorder, and education. She also raised of course the ‘don’t go there’ question of immigration. She did raise this in a more balanced way than a shaven headed BNP thug (yes I know they wear suits these days but go with me on this!) but the tenor of her question wasn’t really asking ‘where are these all flocking from’ (‘these’ being eastern European migrants), there was undoubtedly an overtone of ‘Why are the here’ and ‘when are you going to stop them coming’. May be not a bigot in the true sense of the word but misguided and ill-informed nonetheless.
Brown however cannot berate the woman (at least not publicly) because all three parties have followed the same lines on immigration. Cameron notably shifting to a softer position in the second televised debate recognising the value of immigrants to the labour market but all three agreeing on limits and perpetuating some of the more extreme myths that as a country we are a soft target and open for an easy ride to health care and benefits.
The failure of the politicians collectively to tell the truth about legal levels of inter-European migration, and the netting off figures, where UK citizens work around Europe, is not so complex that the British public and the Mrs. Duffys of this world will not comprehend. So why until today’s’ media generated debate has there been a lack of a plausible debate on immigration.
Cynically perhaps it is easier to allow a misguided northern grandma and the thousands like her to go on blaming immigration as a big cause for the uncomfortable truth of successive governments letting down the white working class on the bread and butter issues.
Lack of investment in social housing, the new labour toys of ALMOS, registered social landlords and any other ruse to avoid the admission that we still need council homes, has led to the chronic housing shortages that are now blamed on migrants. Failure to support jobs within the manufacturing and construction sectors draining skilled or unskilled manual work jobs from the economy and replacing them with part time low waged service sector jobs. Ignoring the value of apprenticeships and training because it was not until very recently part of the new labour ideology which was that to be of economic worth you needed a university degree. We then priced out working class families from the university system. But hey ho we didn’t get the policies wrong it’s just those Poles that are to blame. ‘Where are they flocking from?’
Brown explained himself by saying he was a ‘penitent sinner’. There’s another biblical term springs to mind ‘Reap what ye shall sow’. In this case, more votes for the BNP.
Anna Rose
Last word: It’s also pronounced Sky News Rochdull not dale. Not because it is a ‘dull’ place but we wouldn’t waste hard earned northern breath by elongating the ‘a’ sound. We’ll leave that to the southern journalists!
