Ruth Davidson accused of making ‘misogynistic’ comments about Nicola Sturgeon
Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson. (Ken Jack/Getty)
Former Scottish Conservatives leader Ruth Davidson has been accused of making “misogynistic” comments about Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Nicola Sturgeon.
Davidson stepped down as leader of her party in August this year but she appeared with her successor Jackson Carlaw on Wednesday (December 11), the final day of the election campaign, to give speeches and answer questions from the press.
Davidson said that Sturgeon was so disliked by voters that they refer to her as “that f***ing woman”.
She said: “It’s gone from ‘that woman’ to ‘that bloody woman’ to ‘that f***ing woman’, and that’s where we’re at now.
“I think there are a lot of people that are projecting their antagonism and their resistance to a policy on to a person. But that happens quite a lot in politics.”
According to The Herald, the Scottish Tories have dropped all mention of Brexit and Boris Johnson from their campaign and have instead focused on battling Sturgeon and insisting voters “tell her again” to stop a new independence vote.
Carlaw, however, insisted: “If Alex Salmond had still been the leader, the slogan would have been ‘tell him again’.”
Tom French, acting head of communications for the SNP at Westminster, wrote on Twitter: “Ruth Davidson proclaims herself to be a mental health advocate and a feminist – but acts like a bully and stokes up misogyny to score cheap political points.”
Ruth Davidson proclaims herself to be a mental health advocate and a feminist – but acts like a bully and stokes up misogyny to score cheap political points https://t.co/POQDq4OXPX
— Tom French (@tomfrench85) December 11, 2019
The SNP candidate for Edinburgh West, Sarah Masson, added: “This kind of comment by a once senior politician is the type of thing puts all young women off entering politics.
“I hope women from all parties will call out this disgraceful behaviour from a supposed feminist for what it is.”
This kind of comment by a once senior politician is the type of thing puts all young women off entering politics. I hope women from all parties will call out this disgraceful behaviour from a supposed feminist for what it is. https://t.co/hgu4MT807Z— Sarah Masson (@_sarahmasson) December 11, 2019
This really is an extraordinary way to describe another female politician, particularly after Davidson herself has talked at length about the impact of our toxic on- and off-line environment on women candidates— Libby Brooks (@libby_brooks) December 11, 2019
The Guardian journalist Libby Brooks wrote: “Glad to see Scottish Tories being challenged about whether their highly personalised campaign against Nicola Sturgeon is sexist.
“This really is an extraordinary way to describe another female politician, particularly after Davidson herself has talked at length about the impact of our toxic on- and off-line environment on women candidates.”
