LONDON — Britain’s prime minister blundered into the first major gaffe in his country’s short campaign season Wednesday when an open microphone captured him slamming a voter he had just been trying to win over.
Brown called 66-year-old Gillian Duffy a “bigoted woman” as he was leaving a public meeting where she had needled him on the influx of eastern European immigrants who have come to Britain. Many people are angry that immigrants are taking jobs at a time when Britain’s unemployment level is rising.
Within minutes, the bad-tempered aside had exploded across the British media, and within a couple of hours, Brown was rushing back to her home to beg Duffy’s forgiveness and writing to his supporters to make it clear he’d apologized.
The debacle dealt Brown a big setback on the eve of the last TV debate ahead of the May 6 vote.
