Stone the clothes – skirt scandal an insult

Sometimes I see stories in the news which seem quite unbelievable, and this week’s story about Angela Rayner allegedly crossing and uncrossing her legs in a Sharon Stone style to distract the prime minister in parliament was indeed a strange news item to say the least

In fact, Clive Myrie on the BBC news seemed quite dumbfounded when talking to the political reporter about this, claiming he didn’t really understand.

Whether that meant that Clive had not seen the film Basic Instinct where Sharon Stone’s character tries to distract the detective interviewing her, or Clive did not understand why he was indeed having to discuss this on the BBC news, wasn’t clear. However, the fact he was uncomfortable with this story was obvious.

It’s not only insulting to Angela Rayner to imply that by dressing in a womanly fashion and wearing a skirt to work she is causing a distraction, but it’s also pretty insulting to Boris Johnson to assume a woman in a skirt can distract him from the very important business of Prime Minster’s Questions.

Are we really in 2022 discussing what a woman is wearing?

We are women, we have legs, some of us like wearing skirts and heels, others prefer to wear trousers. Get over it, we have the right to choose.

Some women in powerful positions like to look feminine and attractive. That’s up to them. It may be what gives them confidence or it may just be their choice, and if it makes them feel good, why not?

These women should not have to change the way they dress, in case some men might be distracted.

I feel quite strongly about this because I myself have often worn skirts which many people would probably class as too short, and heels which are too high.

I haven’t done that to distract the men I work with, I’ve done it because it makes me feel good.

Should successful businesswomen or politicians have to dress conservatively to fit into the male-dominated environment they work in?

As far as I can tell, Angela Rayner doesn’t exactly come to work in a mini skirt and six-inch heels anyway.

I saw her on Lorraine on ITV wearing trousers because she didn’t want the conversation to be about what she was wearing.

If I was her, I would turn up in my shortest skirt and highest heels and make a point of showing that as a woman totally qualified to do her job, she can turn up wearing whatever she wants.

So this week at your life we are really focusing on fitness and I, like many others, need to concentrate on improving mine.

When I talk about that person who wore short skirts and high heels, I was a few years younger, two stone lighter and exercised every day.

It seems ridiculous now for me to say that a few years ago I was an ambassador for Pure Gym and worked for The Great Run Company and some other fitness brands.

Now I feel my age, I’ve ditched the heels and I quite often pull the duvet over my head rather than get up and exercise.

However, from experience of having struggled before, I do know how to get myself back on track. I just need to actually put one foot in front of the other and not procrastinate.

So here are my tips, which I’m going to stick to (famous last words but I know it’s now or never as my waistbands get tighter) and I hope some of you join me.

My qualification this time is not as an ambassador for a fitness brand but as a flabby, unfit middle-aged woman who knows she needs to do better.

1. Lay out your fitness clothes at night.

2. Get up and go straight outside for a walk or a run, whatever you are able to do. I find if I don’t go straight out I get distracted and end up not going.

3. Just do 15 minutes on the first day and build it up – 15 minutes a day is better than trying to do too much and being put off for the next month.

4. Don’t then reward yourself with unhealthy food

5. Put a pic of yourself on the fridge looking the way you want to look again. See mine, above.

Have a good week,