Conservative leadership contest

Sir, – We’re regularly told by The Irish Times that more women should be encouraged to enter politics and seek high office. Not so in the Conservative Party, it seems, if your recent coverage of the female candidates for that party’s leadership is anything to go by. Suella Braverman “wears her legal training lightly”, according to Bobby McDonagh (Opinion & Analysis, July 12th). Liz Truss, who has been the butt of months of criticism in The Irish Times, is “bonkers” and has “an odd public speaking manner” (Analysis, June 6th). Kemi Badenoch, the daughter of Nigerian immigrants to the UK, is dismissed by your London editor Denis Staunton as “a marginal figure” who is “in the vanguard of Britain’s culture war against trans rights”. He also criticises her for saying that she “believes that racial disparities are overplayed, and rejects the concept of white privilege” (Analysis, July 11th). Is Denis Staunton suggesting that Ms Badenoch should not express her views on race?

If the British Labour Party was having a leadership election, would your newspaper ever criticise female candidates in these terms?

As ever, the message is clear. Women who hold the “correct” views will be praised and encouraged to seek political office. But if a woman holds a dissenting view on abortion, trans rights, or Brexit, then they’re treated as targets. – Yours, etc,

SARAH-ANNE