In a no-holds-barred pre-election cycle that has already seen one female shadow cabinet member lose her job for taking a photo of a white van, we probably shouldn't be surprised that Harriet Harman's decision to paint hers pink has caused the Westminster press and Twitter's political set to get its collective (definitely-not-pink) knickers in a twist.
Given the real issues women are facing, from domestic violence to the pay gap, any MP who turns up draped in pink to have a chat with the ladies should probably be eyed with suspicion.
But Harman, with a career-long feminist record (and the t-shirt to prove it), isn't any MP. She is an MP who has consistantly advocated for women's rights, including introducing the Equality Act to legislate for equal pay.
Defending the colour scheme of the new 'Woman to Woman' campaign bus on ITV's Good Morning Britain, the Labour deputy leader said: 'The reason why it has to be eye-catching is that there is a big hole in our democratic politics.
'In 2010 at the last general election 9.1 million women didn't vote and that's because they just don't think that politicians have any interest in their lives.'
Before you buy into the 'great pink gaffe' brigade, ask yourself this: are more women in Britain aware that Labour is on the ground, taking an interest in their lives than they were a week ago? Women looking to decide which party to give their vote don't have a tastefully coloured Tory or Lib Dem bus to prefer because Labour are the only ones who have turned up.
Whether you think Harman's pink is eye-catching, patronising or just a colour like any other, most women care more about policies, and a politician's track record on supporting female causes.
To assume anything else would be more foolhardy than any paint job.
Photo above Getty Images
