Who Was the Bigot Here, After All?

I would have been really surprised if nothing like this happened during the campaign.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown was crucified today by all the major UK media (the BBC included) because he called a voter a "bigot" during a private conversation with one of his advisers, which was unfortunately caught by one of the BBC's microphones that he forgot to unhook from his lapel.

"Brown bigot remark raises character question again," the BBC writes. "It's very nice to see you… you bigot," the Mirror quips. "Brown says sorry to widow after calling her 'bigoted woman'", the Times victoriously proclaims.

The list can go on, virtually all the media joined into the feast. None, however, remarked on the profoundly offensive, and racist, character of her remark.

"You can't say anything about the immigrants … but all these Eastern European ones, where are they flocking from?" Gillian Duffy, described by the British media as a widow living in a terraced house in Rochdale, said at minute 2:36 of this video.

I mean, excuse me, flocking? Are these people from the East some sort of birds? Crows maybe? Hey, why stop at this? Why not go ahead and call them vermin since you're at it, I know you're probably thinking it, anyway. The "poor widow" said that nowadays nobody can say anything about immigrants but went ahead and insulted Eastern Europeans in the next sentence, and became famous for it.

The British media took her side and not the side of the man who had the decency to call her what she is: a bigot. I bet you none of the journalists present, and none of those who listened to the video, actually noticed there was something wrong with her remark.

Which poses an interesting dilemma for all the Eastern European immigrants who have "flocked" into Britain and are now paying, on top of the usual taxes, the BBC's licence fee. Why not boycott the Corporation until it shows Gillian Duffy, head in hands, apologizing for her mortifying mistake?

Come on, BBC, be impartial as your status claims you should be! Or at least give those Eastern Europeans their money back. They shouldn't be forced to pay to watch such masterpieces of hypocrisy; they had to live with it every day when they were under communism.

Well, they're leaving. Happy now?

The Romanians who had the honour of having their windows smashed and were threatened with death by thugs in Northern Ireland are finally leaving, the BBC reports.


Not to the south of France, like Sir Fred Goodwin, but back to Romania – not a bad country to be in, during the summer. One resident in the Belfast area where these people were living told the BBC the Romanians brought the attacks on themselves. Asked how, he said "they shouldn't be here." Well, now they won't be.


Hopefully their departure will give a massive boost to employment in the region. For the moment I'd advise all Romanian passport holders (or indeed any other people from anywhere in the world) to refrain from visiting Belfast. One never knows.


Of course, the nice priest who offered overnight dwelling to the Romanians in the City Church, as well as the neighbours who organised anti-racism rallies, have remained in Belfast. But I'm sure they would be welcome in Romania, if the thugs haven't run out of bricks.

On a more serious – sombre, even – note, this is bad. It shows that thugs with bricks and death threats can drive people away. I hope other racist groups won't be inspired by this. Or that authorities will find the will and the guts to stop this kind of acts before it's too late.