Tursiops
Wednesday 28th April 2010 9:44pm
Welwyn Garden City
9,788 posts
Quote: Badge @ April 28 2010, 10:09 PM BST
Yes, that was weird. It seemed like a reasonable exchange and they parted on good terms.
I do wonder from the apology if he heard her "where are they flocking from?" as "where are they f**king from?", though. That might explain his comments a bit and his reaction to how well he thought it went.
Or it could just be a fortunate get-out clause for the spin-doctors to latch on to.
EDIT: Actually, I've just looked at the transcripts and my impression is definitely that he thought she'd said f**king. In that case I think he's been terribly unlucky because that would make her sound bigoted and the meeting seem like a disaster.
That seems to be the defence he is using, but I honestly don't see how he could have misheard her.
It just sounded like the typical political classes response of dismissing any concerns about immigration as bigotry. Typical also of Gordon to regard any robust questioning as a personal attack, and to lash out for someone to blame.