Jo Swinson reveals the sexist advice she was given as a female leader

Jo Swinson appears on BBC Breakfast. Photograph: BBC. - Credit: Archant

Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson said she has had lots of ‘unsolicited advice’ during the election campaign – including a tip to wear lower cut tops.

Swinson told BBC Breakfast there are “lots of questions that get asked of women that don’t get asked of men” and that we “still live in a world which is sexist” as she explained some of the advice she has been given as a leader.

She said she has had people telling her to speak and dress differently, but said she will be “true to myself”.

The Lib Dem leader said the comments were not from within her own team.

She said: “I get lots and lots of unsolicited advice. I’m not short of people telling me that I should speak differently or wear different shoes or wear different earrings.

“Or in one case, somebody suggested that I should wear lower cut tops.

“I mean as if that’s going to be the thing that changes the poll rating. I’m not short of unsolicited advice.”

MORE: Tories suspend activist who sent crude tweet about Jo Swinson

Asked if the “advice” was coming from her own election team, she said: “Not in my election team, but as I say, I do get these gems of advice that come to me.

“I am who I am and some people will not like the way that I dress or talk or my accent or whatever.

“And fine. In a sense that’s their problem. I’m going to stand here, do the best that I can arguing for the positions that I believe in because I do believe our politics can be better.

“And I’m going to be true to myself in the way I do it.”