Legs-it: Daily Mail under fire for 'sexist' front page

Twitter reacts after columnist Sarah Vine compares Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon's legs

 DAILY MAIL LEGS-IT FRONT PAGE

A Daily Mail front page comparing Theresa May and Nicola Sturgeon's legs is generating controversy across the internet.

Today's edition of the tabloid features a cover photo showing the Prime Minister and Scotland's First Minister during a meeting.

"Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!" reads the accompanying headline.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Inside, columnist Sarah Vine dwells extensively on the contents of the two leaders' wardrobes, noting Sturgeon's "natty blue suit" and May's "trademark leopard-print heels".

She continues: "What stands out here are the legs – and the vast expanse on show."

There is "no doubt that both women consider their pins to be the finest weapon in their physical arsenal", adds Vine. While May keeps her legs "demurely arranged", Sturgeon's "shapely shanks are altogether more flirty, tantalisingly crossed".

Hundreds expressed scorn and disbelief on Twitter, condemning the front page and the article as demeaning and outdated.

See more
See more

Former equalities minister Nicky Morgan said it demonstrated "appalling sexism" about Britain's most senior female politicians.

See more

Several Twitter users, including Alan Rusbridger, a former editor of The Guardian, channelled their outrage into envisioning a similar front page with male politicians.

See more
See more

The Daily Mail described the story as "light-hearted" and said in a statement: "We often comment on the appearance of male politicians including Cameron's waistline, Osborne's hair, Corbyn's clothes - and even Boris's legs".

It was a different story north of the border, however. Although the image was the same, the Daily Mail's Scottish edition carried the headline: "Oh so frosty! Secrets of Nicola and PM's talk-in."

Continue reading for free

We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.

Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.