Because we know this is what's important for women.

[SueBaRoomForAMincePie]

This drives me crackers.

I know. I still wouldn't.

lol @ unquietdad

Why?

Ruth Kelly looks appalling all the way through. The girly makeover has done her no favours because it doesn't come from within - it's a veneer that her "advisors" have painted on her.

UQD, the very thought!

What a feckin stupid article

There's the message we want to send to our daughters.

Its not going to Oxford or becoming a cabinet minister that is impressive, what you need is "gorgeous locks".

There are a lot of things to debate about Ruth Kelly. Her stance on gay rights is pretty bloody relevant since she was Minister for Women and Equality at one point, despite voting against adoption by same-sex parents. Her approach to biofuels is pretty interesting. Whether she "sports a series of jackets which button low around the ribs" is not.

Would they deconstruct a man's appearance in this way? Men and women equal? Bah humbug!

good point CandL'sMummy.

Gosh, I've read articles deconstructing the appearances of Margaret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown... and in Saturday's FT Nicolas Sarkozy, to name but a few.

Men or women, it's all the same. Appearances matter hugely for politicians. Why should I trust a politician to take care of my interests if he/she can't take basic care of him/herself?

Oh FFS - but thank you for reminding me exactly why I hate the Daily Mail. Ruth Kelly is a clever and successful politician - I'm quite sure that's not because of her "luscious locks".
If the DM produce an euqivalent article on the transformation of Alistair Darling from bizarrely-eyebrowed nerd into a smouldering Darcy-type, then I might forgive them.

I agree, it's not primarily a gender thing - it's part of an overall media obsession with politicians' "charisma" and appearance.

Where is she a swan

I hope she takes it as a compliment - not sure that I would though!

precisely - it's superficial twaddle. I think the sexist part of it comes from it being in 'femail' the part of the rag aimed at women.

Because we're far more concerned with her lipstick than her political career.

I want politicians to be charismatic and pleasing to look at.

Ruth Kelly is neither... and she's a hypocrite in my book.

More of it here about Nick Clegg's wife. She is "raven-haired", apparently... although it does talk about her career.

I don't care what they look like as long as they are honorable, committed, diligent, and genuinely want to improve things for the majority and not just the select few.

you want them to be pleasing to look at? Well as long as they have good personal hygiene i can't really see what their looks have to do with their leadership abilities - rather dangerous to vote with looks in mind at all.

lol @ UD

I want politicians to look healthy and well and clean and tidy - I don't trust slobs or frumps, personally - a clear indication of laziness and warped priorities IMO.

hmm... according to that article on Nick Clegg's wife, she can either carry on working. Or not.

Being frumpy is an indication of laziness and warped priorities? What a bizarre view. Maybe it just means someone isn't very interested in fashion.

SIL knows Cleggy. Will try and get goss

isnt that just a reflection of the change in fashions..i had cropped short hair for years and years and now have long luscious locks....so what do you think lou babe...should i go back to looking like kelly no 6

i think she looks quite good in that one

now the weirdest transformation i think is ann widecombe..i still think she looks strange with blonde hair but good on her she has done it because she wanted i guess

cant imagine ruth kelly is the sort of person who would be nain mipulated too much

I know Cleggy makes quite a big thing of sending his sons to the local state school, which if you know Sheffield "just happens" to be in a nice leafy area and one of the best-performing schools in the city.

I don't think that there is a dichotomy - "frump" versus "fashionable".

You don't have to be interested in fashion to want to express yourself in your appearance as someone clean, neat, tidy, healthy and generally put-together. It's much, much more about expressing those inner virtues than about reading Vogue and trailing the shops.

i don't like Kelly's opinions at all but I think she looks clean and tidy...