Most Brits think Westminster is sexist, and that coverage of Theresa May focuses mostly on her fashion choices, according to a new poll.
In a BMG poll, exclusive to HuffPostUK, two thirds of those surveyed said UK politics is sexist. 73% of those identifying as Labour supporters agreed, while UKIP supporters opposed the view, with 53% disagreeing.
Those polled also thought the media focused on May’s fashion choices, but had not focused on David Cameron’s.
May’s clothes ranked as one of the top three subjects covered by the media, along with her views on Brexit and how she has performed as prime minster.
By contrast, coverage of Cameron was perceived as focusing on Brexit, his personal performance, and details of his family life.
A third of those surveyed chose May from a group of female leaders as most able to run a country. With 37% of votes the prime minister trumped Hillary Clinton, at 18%, Angela Merkel at 23%, and Nicola Sturgeon, at 22%.
Leave voters preferred Theresa May, whereas Remain voters were in favour of Merkel and Sturgeon. Older people also ranked May higher, with 54% of those aged over 65 saying she was best to run a country.
Just a quarter of those polled said it was important for the prime minister to be a feminist, with a clear majority saying it was not important to them. Amongst 18-24 year olds the figure was higher, with 40% saying it was important.
But when asked about having a prime minister who furthers women’s rights, both men and women were more likely to rate this as important. 70% of women agreed, compared to 27% who said feminism was important in a prime minister.
When asked which party had done most to improve women’s lives in the UK, 50% replied that they did not know. Labour won out, with the conservatives gaining a quarter of the votes. UKIP came last with just 10%.
However, among those aged over 65 the Tories were favoured as helping women the most, and 18-24 year olds favoured the Greens.
The poll surveyed 1,059 UK adults online between 27th-30th September.