Sturgeon: I may have £130 wellies, but £179 jacket is husband’s fault
First Minister strode boldly forward where David Cameron feared to tread in expensive Hunters
WHENEVER a politician steps out into the real world they feel obliged to don the appropriate attire – and it invariably spells trouble.
When David Cameron, the Prime Minister, and Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, both paid visits to areas devastated by the recent flooding they sensibly wore wellington boots.
But if voters looked closely, they would have noticed the boots in question were not just any ordinary wellingtons. No, these were boots that sent a message, no matter how unintended.
When Mr Cameron visited York at the end of December to thank soldiers working on flood relief, he wore a pair from Countrywide, a snip at £12.99.
Perhaps these were intended to project a man of the people image, but if so the idea backfired, as Mr Cameron was mocked by some for wearing what appeared to be a suspiciously clean pair, clearly bought for the occasion. It was suggested an aide had bought the value brand wellies because Mr Cameron’s own Hunter pair would be regarded as too “plutocratic”.
Yesterday – in a reversal of political fashion etiquette – Ms Sturgeon, the leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party, wore a far smarter pair of boots during her visit to Port Elphinstone, near Inverurie. They appeared to be a pair of Hunters – the favoured brand of the rural elite – or to be precise their Women’s Balmoral Lady Neoprene wellington range, usually sold for £130.
Furthermore, Ms Sturgeon wore a rather fetching Barbour International jacket, which usually costs £179.
To some harsher political critics, this might seem a rather less than sympathetic choice of outfit to wear while visiting people flooded out of their homes after the River Don burst its banks, leaving them bereft of many of their most treasured possessions.
To be fair, as Ms Sturgeon’s fellow Scots would almost certainly agree, a good coat and wellingtons are a wise investment in a country where winter temperatures regularly fall below freezing. Ms Sturgeon appears to have taken comments about her coat in good humour, pointing out in a Twitter exchange with The Sunday Telegraph that it was a Christmas present from her husband, Peter Murrell, the chief executive of the SNP. She said: “I blame Peter Murrell – he bought me the Barbour jacket for Christmas a couple of years ago.”
During her visit, Ms Sturgeon announced that an extra £12 million would be made available to help areas hit by storms and flooding in Scotland, and that businesses whose trade was affected can apply for an extra £3,000.