Meddling Minty stokes the fires of British fascism

[Magda Hassan]

Election 2010: Immigration not off limits, says Johnson



The moment Gordon Brown was caught on microphone

Labour is not treating immigration as "off limits" a minister says after Gordon Brown called a pensioner who raised the issue "bigoted".
Ahead of the final TV debate, Labour's Alan Johnson said it was "perfectly legitimate" to raise the topic.
Mr Brown was under a lot of pressure and made a "dreadful mistake", he said.
Mr Brown has apologised. He will face David Cameron and Nick Clegg for a debate focused on the economy in Birmingham from 2030 BST.
The BBC's Nick Robinson said he expected a feisty performance from Mr Brown, who would be fighting not just for himself but also for the future of the Labour Party, amid fears the gaffe will sap morale and persuade people not to bother to vote.
'Not insensitive'
Home Secretary Mr Johnson said pensioner Gillian Duffy had not been bigoted to raise the topic of immigration from eastern Europe and he was "really pleased Gordon made that clear".
He said Mr Brown was "under a great deal of pressure" - from dealing with the demands of the campaign as well as being PM - and had made a "dreadful mistake".
"No-one can suggest that this wasn't damaging, I think we have to look at how Gordon responded. People will have sympathy for the fact that sometimes you say things you wish you hadn't said."
Gordon isn't a monster and the issue of immigration isn't off limits


Alan Johnson

He said Mr Brown was "not insensitive to 65-year-old pensioners from Rochdale" and "would not have wanted to have hurt Mrs Duffy's feelings".
"We must discuss these issues and Mrs Duffy's comments are shared by many and they are perfectly legitimate."
He added: "Mrs Duffy isn't bigoted, Gordon isn't a monster and the issue of immigration isn't off limits."
'A disaster'
Mr Brown has apologised to Mrs Duffy, who said she had only gone out to buy a loaf of bread when she saw the the Labour leader and challenged him on a variety of topics - including immigration from eastern Europe.
In comments caught on a microphone afterwards, Mr Brown was heard to tell an aide that the meeting "was a disaster" and call Mrs Duffy a "bigoted woman".
He later went to the pensioner's house to apologise in person and emerged to say that he had made a mistake and "misunderstood" some of the words she had used and apologised to Labour activists in an e-mail.
'BIGOTED' JIBE COVERAGE



Nick Robinson: 'That was a disaster'
Profile of the woman behind row
Transcripts: All the exchanges
Analysis: Why it matters
Your views on Brown's comment
In pictures: how it unfolded
Eyewitness: PM's day of horror
Brown's apology to activists

Anticipating the debate, he said: "You have seen me in one context on the TV. I hope you see once more someone not just proud to be your leader but also someone who understands the economic challenges we face."
The party leaders are expected to spend much of the day preparing for the debate, which will focus on the economy and is being screened on BBC One at 2030 BST.
Conservative leader David Cameron is to visit a hospital and discuss his party's plans to create a £200m cancer drugs fund, while Nick Clegg is to focus on Liberal Democrat plans to help older people.
Former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy told Sky News he suspected the gaffe would not be directly raised by either David Cameron or Nick Clegg but added: "It will be the elephant in the room for Gordon Brown and millions of people watching it on TV..."
'Very upset'
On Wednesday the Scottish National Party failed in a legal bid to stop the debate being broadcast in Scotland, if they were not represented. SNP leader Alex Salmond told the BBC it was "unfair to the SNP" and "unfair for Scotland".
Mrs Duffy has not made any public comment since Mr Brown's 40-minute visit to her home although it is reported she is being advised by a public relations firm.
When she was first told about Mr Brown's comments, Mrs Duffy said she was "very upset" as she had only asked questions which "anyone would ask".
The opposition parties have refrained from commenting on the episode in detail, the Conservatives saying it spoke for itself and the Lib Dems saying Mr Brown had been right to apologise.
The latest polls - carried out before Wednesday's encounter - continue to suggest a hung Parliament remains a possibility.
A Comres poll for the Independent/ITV News put the Conservatives up three points on 36%, Labour unchanged on 29% and the Lib Dems down three at 26%. A YouGov poll for the Sun, meanwhile, puts the Tories up a point on 34%, the Lib Dems up three points on 31% and Labour down two points to 27%.
• The final Prime Ministerial Debate will be shown live on BBC One from 2030 BST on Thursday.