A Daily Mail front page that declared “Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!” next to a photograph of Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and British prime minister Theresa May has prompted widespread outrage.
Inside the paper there was was __more ogling at the female leaders, with a headline reading: “Finest weapons at their command? Those pins!” A column by Sarah Vine referred to Sturgeon’s legs as “altogether __more flirty, tantalisingly crossed … a direct attempt at seduction”.
The front page, which appeared on Twitter on Monday night, met with instant criticism from politicians and the public.
Among the first to criticise the front page as sexist and offensive were the Labour MPs Harriet Harman and Yvette Cooper. Tony Blair’s former spin doctor, Alastair Campbell, labelled the paper “utter scum” and urged anyone who spotted a copy of the Mail to rip it up The former Labour leader Ed Miliband tweeted: tweeted: “The 1950s called and asked for their headline back.”
Yvette Cooper (@YvetteCooperMP)It's 2017. Two women's decisions will determine if United Kingdom continues to exist. And front page news is their lower limbs. Obviously pic.twitter.com/AMp0YvtISa
March 27, 2017
Harriet Harman (@HarrietHarman)
Moronic! And we are in 2017! pic.twitter.com/LTGEZdtNo3
March 27, 2017
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour leader, echoed their condemnation, saying such attitudes should be “consigned to history”.
Jeremy Corbyn MP (@jeremycorbyn)
It's 2017. This sexism must be consigned to history. Shame on the Daily Mail. pic.twitter.com/V3RpFSgfnO
March 27, 2017
The front page, which referenced difficult talks between the leaders in Glasgow over Brexit, looked slightly different in Scotland, where the Scottish edition of the Daily Mail used the same photograph but with a headline that read: “Oh so frosty! Secrets of Nicola and PM’s talk-in.”
Journalists, commentators and members of the public in the UK and beyond were left shaking their heads.
Jane Bradley (@jane__bradley)
This is what happens when you let that drunk, pervy uncle at a wedding edit a newspaper. pic.twitter.com/FQcqjjQMNJ
March 27, 2017
Emma Barnett (@Emmabarnett)Breaking news: two women have four legs between them. Forget their brains - utterly immaterial. United by being unwitting pin-ups pic.twitter.com/RY64nVMLyF
March 27, 2017
Angry Salmond (@AngrySalmond)We're living in the most political unstable era of my lifetime, and the Daily Mail are writing sexist articles about our leader's legs. pic.twitter.com/54uAuAE9Sp
March 27, 2017
Yashar (@yashar)The Prime Minister of the UK meets with the First Minister of Scotland and the Daily Mail has this on their front page. #LegsIt pic.twitter.com/rlVSYJQwAt
March 28, 2017
While others took matters into their own hands.
Ashley Gould (@APJGould)
I'd like to think in an alternative brexit-verse far far away this is what everyone's getting cross over #dailymail pic.twitter.com/QlOg5Y6a0p
March 27, 2017
Philly Byrne ☘️ (@PhilipNByrne)
I fixed it. #dailymail pic.twitter.com/KHv6WHrZzO
March 27, 2017
Later editions of the paper appeared to attempt to water down the editorial line, describing it on the front as: “Sarah Vine’s light-hearted verdict on the big showdown”.