They were softly spoken words which dealt the killer blow for a flagging Prime Minister now publicly shamed for his lack of sincerity, no matter how grovelling his humble apology to grandmother Gillian Duffy.

Although much publicity has been given to the quizzing she gave him on the national debt and immigration, she raised two other key issues which very much worry the electorate – the taxing of pensioners who are expected to work longer in future years, and whether her grandsons aged only 10 and 12 will be able to afford tuition fees. I can certainly relate to the last point as my 17-year-old son James is worried about this too having seen the huge debt his brother has incurred as a student, and I am trying hard to persuade him that a university education will benefit him. Brown should know too that increasing numbers of students remain unemployed and cannot find work, let alone rid themselves of that debt with is hanging around their necks.

Our young people are desperate for jobs, with or without a degree, and only last week we heard the tragic story of 21-year-old Vicky Harrison who killed herself because of repeated rejections, despite having 10 GCSEs ad 3 A levels. She was from Lancashire, like Mrs Duffy, who has now put Rochdale on the global map.

Mrs Duffy knows a darn sight more about the issues affecting people’s lives than many politicians. Perhaps Brown should spend a week living with her to learn about the real fears which people face daily, the policies they want our politicians to change and make a difference to lives of us lesser mortals. Instead of being treated as an inconvenience, this Labour supporting grandmother should have been welcomed for her insights and experiences which she cared enough to share.