Leather trousers. Hard not to comment on, aren’t they? Especially when they cost £995. Who can blame Nicky Morgan for commenting on Theresa May’s leather trousers whilst sharing a handy woman-of-the-people tip for when you can’t decide if an item is a tad too indulgent: “My barometer is always, ‘How am I going to explain this in Loughborough market?” Ah, Loughborough Market, where we will all, one day, have to explain ourselves.
The comment, unfortunately, riled up Theresa May’s joint chief of staff, Fiona Hill who referred to the former education secretary as “that woman” and noted Nicky’s own £950 Mulberry leather handbag. Which can be explained away as a gift from Loughborough Market.
Nicky was due to appear on the latest episode BBC one’s Have I Got News For You. However, after having decided it best to keep low profile until #Trousergate blew over she cancelled her appearance. Now of course the show could have booked a last minute replacement. Instead they teamed Paul Merton up with a handbag.
With Gary Lineker hosting and Jon Richardson on Ian Hislop’s team this meant that instead of keeping to Danny Cohen’s gender pledge the show was summed up by Ian Hislop as: “A panel with four men and a handbag.”
“Bit sexist isn’t it, Handbag?” asked Gary Lineker. Nicky Morgan tweeted that she’d: “have donated the original bag if asked – it would have better lines than me”
Of course the handbag got no lines, but that could have been down to the editing. In 1993 Roy Hattersley cancelled at the last minute and was replaced with a tub of lard because, according to the HIGNFY makers “they possessed the same qualities and were liable to give similar performances.”
