Former MP backs call to ban Page 3

Jacqui Smith. Picture by Lucy Ford 1410044LFRE.

FORMER Redditch MP Jacqui Smith has backed a campaign to stop women baring their breasts in a national newspaper.

The ex-Home Secretary has signed a petition to stop The Sun newspaper from publishing its famous page three topless models.

She is one of 41,545 people to back the campaign which is also being supported by celebrities such as Tony Blair's former press secretary Alastair Campbell, comedian Jennifer Saunders, pop star Eliza Doolittle and author Caitlin Moran.

The former deputy Minister for Women told the Standard: "I'm really pleased it's an issue that's being raised again by both young and older women.

"I think in this day and age, for a mainstream newspaper that's in our homes, workplaces, on our tubes and across the country, if the message being sent is if you are a man you will be judged on what you do, and if you're a woman you will be judged on what you look like, and mostly what you look like with your top off, that just isn't right.

"It should be a case of what women do, what they say and who they are, not what they look like.

"I'm not out to tell people you shouldn't buy The Sun. At the very least I don't think it does help sales."

Ms Smith added she was not against the glamour business but was worried about certain elements within the industry.

"I think Jordan is an extremely successful businesswoman and I don't criticise that," she said.

"When I was Home Secretary I changed the law so local people could decide whether or not they wanted a lap dancing club in their area and I think that choice should be allowed."

Brighton based Lucy Holmes, who started the No More Page 3 campaign, said: "I bought the sun during the Olympics to read about Team GB. I was reading about Jessica Ennis and turned the page and there was a beautiful young woman in her pants, her image was bigger than any picture of Jessica Ennis. I thought about what it said about women in society.

"It is a family newspaper which has Lego promotions and is currently targeting young girls with One Direction tickets.

"There are always men in clothes running the country for example, then you see an image of a young woman in her pants, what does that imply about our place in society?"

Visit www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/dominic-mohan-take-the-bare-boobs-out-of-the-sun-nomorepage3 to sign the petition.

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