Misogynistic comments in politics "depressingly familiar", says First Minister

It is up to men to make politics better for women by ending misogynistic behaviour, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister's comments come in the wake of a controversy sparked by a story in the Mail on Sunday newspaper, in which anonymous Tory MPs accused Labour Deputy leader, Angela Rayner, of attempting to distract the Prime Minister by crossing and uncrossing her legs in the Commons chamber.

The comments, which were condemned across the political spectrum, resulted in calls from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to end the "misogynistic culture" at Westminster.

Speaking on the campaign trail ahead of next weeks local elections, Ms Sturgeon said these comments are "depressingly familiar".

"Women of my generation have been facing and dealing with that kind of misogyny for their whole lives, and my mother and grandmother's generation before us. It's depressingly familiar.

"We are still in a situation where women just too often have to face those kinds of misogynistic attitudes, comments and misogynistic behavior, women being reduced to their body parts, we've all experienced that", added the First Minister.

"And also this idea that the feelings of men always have to, in some way, be the fault of a woman.

"The fact that Boris Johnson is a poor performer in the House of Commons, the fact that Angela Rayner seems to out-debate him on every occasion, somehow that's Angela Rayners fault, rather than the reality, which is just the Boris Johnson isn't that good at his job."

Prime Minister "needs to look at his own behaviour"

Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to unleash "the terrors of the earth" on the unnamed Conservative MP, should he be found.

However, Ms Sturgeon says he needs to lead from the front.

"He's not always a man of his word.

"He has also uttered many sexist and misogynistic comments down the years, when he was a journalist, for example. I hope they do find out who it was, I don't hold out much hope, and then I hope they do treat those severely.

"But I think many people in the Tory party right now are just looking to Boris Johnson as the example of how they think it's right to behave.

"And perhaps Boris Johnson also needs to look at his own behavior in these respects, and show a better example."

"Men need to change"

The First Minister added that it's not up to women to change "misogynistic attitudes and behaviour", saying: "Fundamentally, men need to change. It's not women who need to change men.

"I know it's not all men who are misogynistic, but lots of men do engage in misogynistic attitudes and behavior. And men need to stop being sexist and misogynistic."

Hear all the latest news from across the North of Scotland on MFR. Listen on FM, via our Rayo app, DAB, or smart speaker.