Diary of a Mayor of London candidate – 104 days to go

January 20, 2012 3 Comments

In today’s Evening Standard there is an article on me and my decision to run as an independent candidate in the Mayor of London election.   I wasn’t planning to blog today but I thought it would be interesting to share some of the on-line comments that have been posted in response to the article.  I’m fully aware that these comments are always a mix of positives and negatives, constructive ideas, ignorant outpourings and a few that are just downright weird!  To be honest, I don’t usually pay them much attention.    But today’s comments on the article about me merit some reflection.  There are 15 comments in total.    Let me show you seven of them:

  • Go home and put the kettle on, now that’s a good dear!!
  • Good luck love. Are you going to be giving free cupcakes to all single Mums as well.
  • You’re a winner already in my eyes love… nice ‘pins’… you got my vote
  • Yes, I like her legs… Nice white toothy-pegs too, better than Old Ken’s beer-stained choppers.
  • I thought the headline meant she has “dealt with bigger BREASTS
  • She has my vote just for being better looking than the other two jobsworths
  • She is easy on the eye, unlike the other two candidates

It really is little wonder that so few women go into public life….

 

Filed under Mayoral Election 2012 Tagged with , , ,

About Siobhan Benita
Siobhan Benita: Interested in politics, democracy and equality. Having run as an independent candidate in the 2012 Mayor of London election I know it is like to campaign in a major election. I speak regularly at a range of events, from secondary schools and youth groups to lectures in Parliament and national conferences. Government and civil service expert - with over 15 years’ experience in Whitehall working with Ministers and seniors officials on a range of policy and reform initiatives. Women work - from personal mentoring to speaking about women in public life and/or the workplace, I have a wealth of experience working with women from all backgrounds and organisations. You can hear me some Sundays between 11 am and noon when I join Iain Dale on his LBC973 radio show.

3 Responses to Diary of a Mayor of London candidate – 104 days to go

  1. Pingback: Sunday’s London Links

  2. Lee Chalmers says:
    January 23, 2012 at 7:26 am

    I saw those comments too and, though I wasn’t shocked, being used to this treatment of women, it did depress me. You are right, this is part of the reason why women don’t stand for election in the same numbers as men. Society still values women for their bodies (for sex and child bearing) and men for their minds (as leaders etc). This is something that we really need to change. We need to find a way to encourage culture to recognise that womens have minds, to appreciate what we can bring, as human thinkers.

    Well done to you for taking on the other candidates. I hope you can find a way to run the campaign in a sustainable and less than manic manner, as that will be a role model for future women.

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