THE UK EDITION of the Daily Mail has come in for sharp criticism over its front page headline today, covering yesterday’s meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The future of the union was a topic for debate yesterday ahead of May triggering Article 50 to get the Brexit ball rolling, and the Mail ran with the headline: “Never mind Brexit, who won Legs-it!” alongside a picture of the pair sitting while facing the cameras.
Inside, a column from Sarah Vine dissects the issue of the pair’s legs in great detail, claiming that Sturgeon positioned her legs in a “more flirty, tantalisingly crossed” way, in a “direct attempt at seduction” towards the Scottish electorate.
Labour MPs led the criticism against the Daily Mail, calling it sexist, moronic and offensive.
MP Yvette Cooper said that these women would help to determine in the union continues to exist, and ironically said that the headline would “obviously” be about their legs in 2017, while MP Harriet Harman echoed this sentiment.
Former Labour leader Ed Miliband said that the headline was something from the 1950s while current leader Jeremy Corbyn said such attitudes should be consigned to history.
The Scottish edition of the Mail led with the same picture but an altogether different headline: “Oh so frosty! Secrets of Nicola and PM’s talk-in”. The Irish edition focused on May’s decision not to visit Northern Ireland before Wednesday.
There was further condemnation across social media for the headline from members of the public.
Theresa May is expected to trigger Article 50 tomorrow, which will begin Brexit negotiations with the EU.
Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party, has asked colleagues to support a vote to hold another referendum on Scottish independence, after a majority in the country voted to remain in the EU.
Last week, the Irish and UK editions of the Daily Mail ran very different stories on the death of Martin McGuinness.
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