* PM makes first big election gaffe
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* Issue overshadows discussion about the economy
* Polls show May 6 election headed for inconclusive result
(Adds quote from voter, edits)
By Kylie MacLellan and Fiona Shaikh
LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Gordon Brown apologised in person for describing a voter as "a bigoted woman" on Wednesday in an embarrassing gaffe before next week's parliamentary election.
A campaign stop to meet locals in a northern English town backfired when Brown let slip the unguarded comment about grandmother Gillian Duffy, a supporter of his own Labour Party. It was picked up by a microphone on his lapel as he was driven away in his car after meeting her.
Labour, in power for 13 years but trailing in opinion polls, had already been on the defensive after opposition parties said the Greek financial crisis was an example of what could happen if Britain's record budget deficit was not tackled.
Brown later visited Duffy in her own home to apologise, saying he was mortified by what had happened.
"Sometimes you do make mistakes and you use wrong words, and once you've used that word and you've made a mistake, you should withdraw it and say profound apologies, and that's what I've done," he said, after spending more than 30 minutes in the grandmother's modest home in the town of Rochdale.
Brown was shown on television with his head in his hands as the comments were replayed to him during a BBC interview.
The furore over a rare unscripted moment in a highly choreographed campaign may undermine his attempts to reclaim lost ground on Thursday in the last of three televised leaders' debates, which will focus on the economy.
Labour, which has narrowed the Conservatives' lead in opinion polls in recent months, had high hopes for this week's campaigning. So far Brown's performances in the TV debates -- which have dominated campaigning -- have not drawn plaudits.
"A politician in a stronger position could recover from this. What we know is that Gordon Brown is not in that position ... I don't think it's a good idea to call voters bigots," said Andrew Russell, a politics lecturer at Manchester University.
The pensioner had asked Brown how he would tackle the country's record deficit, as well as other issues ranging from east European immigration to university fees and pensions.
Brown's gaffe could reinforce public perceptions of a leader lacking in social skills and prone to outbursts of temper.
However, some TV pundits and voters were more sympathetic.
"For me, I've got more respect for him. Let's be honest, we all meet people who we think are a moron, we don't like them," said accountant Nigel Howcutt, 29, in Watford, north of London.
GREEK MELTDOWN
Bookmakers widened their odds against Labour winning a majority to 46-1 after Brown's gaffe, from 30-1 before.
"There's no doubt in what the punters are saying: Brown has royally messed up this time," said Mike Robb, a spokesman for online betting company Betfair.
Opinion polls on Wednesday continued to point to a hung parliament, in which no one party wins an overall majority. But they showed the Conservatives and Labour had regained some ground from the Liberal Democrats, the traditional third party in British politics, who have enjoyed a strong ratings boost since the first TV leaders' debate and turned the contest into a three-horse race. [ID:nUKPOLLS10]
Much of Wednesday's campaigning had been focused on the economy and Britain's record budget deficit.
Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman, told Reuters all the big parties were agreed on the need to cut government borrowing, warning that failing to do so risked Greek-style financial chaos. [nLDE63R0XK]
Greece, which saw its debt downgraded to junk status by rating agency Standard & Poor's on Tuesday, is currently in talks with the IMF and the European Union on getting a 45 billion euro bail-out package to prevent a sovereign default.
Greece's budget deficit last year stood at 13.6 percent of GDP, compared to a British deficit running at over 11 percent.
Labour Business Minister Peter Mandelson said that likening Britain to Greece was "frankly ridiculous".
Opposition Conservative leader David Cameron said that while there were many differences between the two countries, Britain should take note of Greece's troubles.
File photo of UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is now at the centre of controversy when, on Thursday, a live microphone caught him describing a voter he had talked to as being a "bigoted woman".

The incident occurred after Brown, encouraged by his advisors to interact with ordinary people more often before next week's parliamentary elections, went for a walkabout in the town of , located near Manchester. There, he spoke with Gillian Duffy, aged 65, who challenged him on topics such as health and education, before asking about immigration: "All those Eastern Europeans what are coming in, where are they flocking from?" she asked him.

Brown responded by saying that "a million people come from Europe, but a million people, British people, have gone into Europe." The prime minister, upon finishing the discussion, said it was "very nice to meet you" and returned to his car.

Unbeknownst to him, however, the Sky News microphone attached to his lapel was still turned on and picked up the conversation that followed inside the vehicle: "That was a disaster ... they should never have put me with that woman," Brown said. "Whose idea was that? It’s just ridiculous." When an aide asked what Duffy had said, Brown responded: "Everything, she was just a bigoted woman that said she used to be Labour ... I don't know why Sue an aide brought her up towards me." 

The PM, upon being informed what had happened, returned to Duffy's home to personally apologise. "Sometimes you do make mistakes and you use wrong words, and once you’ve used that word and you’ve made a mistake, you should withdraw it and say profound apologies, and that’s what I’ve done," he said. During an interview with the BBC, Brown is seen with his head in hands as the comments were replayed.

Duffy, speaking to reporters immediately after having talked with the PM, described Brown as being "very nice", but later said she was "very upset" when informed what Brown had said off-camera. "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," she said in an interview with the BBC.

"... It's going to be tax, tax, tax for another twenty years to get out of this national debt, and he's calling me a bigot," later adding: "I want to know why — them sic comments I made there — why I was called a bigot."
A spokesman for Brown said: "Mr Brown has apologised to Mrs Duffy personally by phone. He does not think that she is bigoted. He was letting off steam in the car after a difficult conversation. But this is exactly the sort of conversation that is important in an election campaign and which he will continue to have with voters."

=== Media and opposition parties react ===

Some political analysts have said the gaffe may hurt Labour's chances in the upcoming elections; the party had managed to narrow the Conservatives' lead in recent opinion polls. 

The Conservatives responded to the incident — dubbed by some media outlets as "Bigotgate" — with Shadow chancellor George Osborne saying that "general elections ... do reveal the truth about people."

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, meanwhile said: "You should always try to answer the questions as best you can. He has been recorded saying what he has said and will have to answer for that."

Andrew Russell, a politics lecturer for , commented on the situation. "A politician in a stronger position could recover from this. What we know is that Gordon Brown is not in that position."