Maria Steen says she used Hermes bag to 'expose hypocrisy of the left'
James Cox
Maria Steen's failed attempt to get onto the ballot for the presidential election, which saw her fall two short of the quota with 18 Oireachtas nominations, has dominated headlines this week.
In fact, Ms Steen's campaign has had more interest than the three declared candidates so far.
After failing to get on the ballot, Ms Steen lashed out at what she called the "oppressive political consensus".
However, some accused her of being out of touch herself as she was wearing an Hermes bag as she was interviewed outside Leinster House.
The bags range in price from around €10,000 to €30,000.
Speaking about the fallout from her campaign in an interview with The Irish Times, Ms Steen said "the handbag was deliberate".
She added: "I wanted to expose the hypocrisy of the left who don’t love the poor; they just hate the rich."
Ms Steen said it was hypocritical for feminists to say they want more women in public life and then “criticise a woman who happens to have the wrong values for carrying the expensive handbag”.
“Nobody would ever question a man about the price of his car or of his suit – or if he’s wearing an expensive watch – but a woman carries an expensive handbag, and that’s all the news."
In the wide-ranging interview with Ellen Coyne, Ms Steen also discussed her difficulty in getting in touch with certain TDs and senators, whether she should have sought the support of local authorities, and her falling out with Senator Michael McDowell.
