Scrutiny is far higher when it comes to female politicians

Who would be a female politician – that was my first thought following a chat with a female acquaintance post the second leaders debate, writes Alison O’Connor

She told me her mother had been wondering the night before what sort of support underwear Labour leader Joan Burton may or may not have been wearing. The word Spanx did enter this conversation.

If I was Joan, I might have wept to overhear this sort of speculation, and all the other crap that female politicians have to put up with compared to their male counterparts. Just think, on top of orchestrating a national campaign, trying to keep her own seat in Dublin West, and having to be on top of her game for daily media interrogation, the Tánaiste will possibly have paid as much attention to her hair and wardrobe as to the dreaded fiscal space.