No Worries

Patrick Mulchrone writes:

The pensioner blasted as a bigot by Gordon Brown is backing Ed Miliband in his battle to win the election.

Outspoken Gillian Duffy famously ­challenged the ex-PM on policies including immigration while he was campaigning in her home town five years ago.

He was later caught off guard on microphone berating an aide over the “disaster” of his encounter with that “bigoted woman”.

The incident was blamed for seriously damaging Labour’s chances in 2010.

And now Mr Miliband is said to be running scared of campaigning in the OAP’s home town.

But proud Gillian, 70, said he should have no worries about visiting Rochdale [a Labour in 2010].

Speaking exclusively to the Sunday Mirror, the lifelong Labour supporter said: “All I want to say is that the country has to get behind Labour, support Ed Miliband and get rid of this ­government.”

She feels Labour should not plan on being in a new coalition and urged the party to make sure it wins outright.

Gillian said: “I understand people’s interest in me, but I’m not going there again.

“All I want is for people to get behind Labour and Ed Miliband in particular. We need to support them.”

Last week controversial Karen Danczuk, wife of Rochdale’s Labour MP Simon, claimed Mr Miliband would not be visiting Rochdale during the election campaign for fear of the “Gillian effect”.

The party holds the seat by a slender majority of just 810 votes over the Liberal Democrats. But Gillian wants no re-run of the incident that thrust her into the ­limelight.

She bumped into Mr Brown when she popped out to buy bread.

He was all smiles as he listened to her concerns about education, immigration and the national debt.

Then he forgot to remove a TV ­microphone as he jumped in his car. Mr Brown rushed to Mrs Duffy’s home to make a grovelling apology after his gaffe.

But the pensioner refused to send off the postal vote she had already filled out for Labour before setting off to see her daughter in Vancouver.

In the wake of the Bigotgate row, Gillian, said: “It’s been one of the most horrendous weeks of my life. I know how Susan Boyle feels now. But I didn’t ask for this.”