Major Campaign Gaffe' by UK Prime Minister

Gordon Brown made a campaign stop to a middle-class neighborhood near Manchester Piccadilly, to meet with constituents.

According to the BBC:

Gillian Duffy, 65, had challenged him on issues including immigration.

As he got into his car, he was still wearing a broadcast microphone and was heard to say "that was a disaster".

Duffy also challenged him on welfare and government spending, saying at one point "it's crap," referring to how long people are permitted to stay on the government dole.

Continuing from the BBC:

As he went to get into his car, Mr Brown told her: "Very nice to meet you, very nice to meet you."

But off camera, and not realising he still had a Sky News microphone pinned to his shirt, he was heard to tell an aide: "That was a disaster - they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? It's just ridiculous..."

Asked what she had said, he is heard to reply: "Ugh everything! She's just a sort of bigoted woman that said she used to be Labour. I mean it's just ridiculous. I don't know why Sue brought her up towards me."

Brown has since spent the entire afternoon apologizing profusely, to Ms. Duffy, her family, and in statements to the media. But the Manchester retiree and proud grandmother, was not having anything of it. Continuing:

"I'm very upset. He's an educated person. Why has he come out with words like that?

"He's supposed to be leading the country and he's calling an ordinary woman who's come up and asked questions that most people would ask him... It's going to be tax, tax, tax for another 20 years to get out of this national debt, and he's calling me a bigot."