THE Daily Mail, whose front page featured Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon with a headline of "who won Legs-it!", has been accused of displaying "moronic" and “demeaning” sexism by senior politicians.
The tabloid was attacked for focusing on the legs of the Prime Minister and the First Minister during their talks in Scotland on Monday about triggering Brexit and the possibility of a second Scottish independence referendum.
An accompanying article by columnist Sarah Vine headlined “Finest weapons at their command? Those pins!” was part of a two-page spread on the two leaders' appearance.
The coverage caused a Twitter storm.
Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "It's 2017. This sexism must be consigned to history. Shame on the Daily Mail."
His Labour colleague Harriet Harman, the party’s former deputy leader, said: "Moronic! And we are in 2017!"
Tory backbencher, Nicky Morgan, the former Equalities Minister, “Seriously? Our two most senior female politicians are judged for their legs not what they said #appallingsexism".
Ed Miliband, the former Labour leader, tweeted: “The 1950s called and asked for their headline back#everydaysexism.”
Alongside a photograph of the two leaders sitting down for talks at a Glasgow hotel, the headline in the paper’s Scottish edition did not mention their legs and read: “Oh so frosty! Secret of Nicola and PM’s talk-in.”
But for the audience south of the border, the deadline ran: "Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!"
In her piece, Ms Vine, who is married to Michael Gove, the former Justice Secretary, wrote that Ms Sturgeon’s pose was "a direct attempt at seduction".
She went on: "What stands out here are the legs - and the vast expanse on show. There is no doubt that both these women consider their pins to be the finest weapon in their physical arsenal."
Downing Street refused to be drawn on the paper's coverage.
The PM’s spokesman said: "You would not expect me to comment on what papers should or should not put on their front pages or inside pages."
However, Sadiq Khan, the London Mayor on an official visit to Brussels, said it would only serve to put off girls and young women from entering politics.
"You've got two of the most senior politicians in the country, two very important politicians. The idea that we are talking about their legs beggars belief," he declared.
Ms Morgan, the former Education Secretary, told BBC Radio 5 Live the Mail's coverage was: "Deliberately provocative and deliberately demeaning."
She said: "How the Prime Minister deals with it is entirely a matter for her," but added: "You've got two very senior female politicians who are discussing weighty issues and this is what a national newspaper thinks is appropriate."
Mary Beard, the historian and classicist, was equally outraged, writing: "Women and power? Worth seeing what we might be up against. legs-it ffs"
Meantime, Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, appeared to take a more light-hearted approach to the row, tweeting, alongside a photograph of her legs in a hot tub: “Apparently, some mild interest in politicians' legs today; here are mine. They're a bit short. But with a lovely Aboyne vista here. #Legs-it.”
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