bigoted adj. [ˈbɪɡətɪd] 偏执的,执拗的,顽固不化的,食古不化的,
2010年,英国大选,其实就是各党竞选下议院席位,获得绝对多数(半数以上)席位的党魁出任首相。本来首相戈登·布朗(Gordon Brown)领导的工党已经落后于卡梅伦领导的保守党,布朗很可能下台,谁知半路杀出一个自由民主党,分流选票,这样三个党都不能获得绝对多数,这届议会可能成为一个 hung parliment ( no single political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament) 。这样布朗就有机会留任,和另一党组成联合政府。所以他到各地巡回演讲,会见选民,英国 Sky News 电视台自然一路随行采访。
4月,布朗在英格兰北部一小镇参加一次竞选活动,为了避免总是戳一个话筒在首相面前,Sky News 在 Brown 的衬衫上别了一个麦克风。65岁的妇女 Gillian Duffy 向首相询问移民问题,布朗做了回答。结束后,布朗和助手 (aide) 返回座驾。布朗在车内显然很不高兴,抱怨让他去和这位妇女对话,并称 Gillian 是个 bigoted woman,但因他忘了关闭佩戴的麦克风, 被 Sky News 录音并公布了这段车内对话。此事让英国朝野上下“几乎爆炸”,尽管事后布朗再三向各方道歉,但大错已铸。分析称“偏执门” (Bigotgate) 可能令工党流失200万张选票,严重影响选情。
媒体的报道:
65-year-old Gillian Duffy had chanllenged Brown on immigration policy. As he went to get into his car, Brown told her:"Very nice to meet you." But off camera, and not realizing he still had a Sky News microphone pinned to his shirt, he was heard to tell an aide: "She's just a sort of bigoted woman..."
记者在布朗下一个会场,还把这段话放给他本人听,布朗不得不马上返回 Duffy 家中道歉。
BBC作为国立电视台,也不给首相面子,对布朗的两面性进行嘲笑,把布朗骂得狗血喷头。这就是西方媒体的独立性(Media Independence),不听命于任何人。
Sky News 公布的车内对话:
Brown: That was a disaster. They should never put me with that woman. Whose idea was that?
Aide: I don't know.
Brown: It's Sue's I think. It's just radiculous.
Aide: What did she say?
Brown: Everything, She's just a sort of bigoted woman. I mean it's just radiculous.
大选结果,卡梅伦领导的保守党获得649个议席中的306席,布朗的工党获得258个议席,自由民主党获得57席。
虽然保守党没有获得绝对多数,但成为议会第一大党,将和自由民主党组成联合政府。
5月11日,Brown 宣布辞职,执政英国13年的工党下台。
同一天,43岁的卡梅伦宣誓就任英国首相,成为两百年来英国最年轻的首相。