Lord Mayor Sally Capp says being called the ‘handbag’ hurt her husband Andrew Sutherland

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has hit out at rude jibes aimed at her husband, launching a passionate defence after the slur against him was used most recently at an Australia Day event.

Sally Capp and her husband Andrew Sutherland. Picture: Sam Tabone/Getty Images

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has passionately defended her husband after jibes saying he is her “handbag”.

Cr Capp said her husband, Andrew Sutherland, copped the insult most recently at an Australia Day event last month.

”People are very hurtful to him … those little things can really demean people, and it’s so frustrating when you’re genuinely trying to make a difference and you’re working hard,” she said.

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City of Melbourne Lord Mayor Sally Capp at the council’s Australia Day ceremony. Picture: Sarah Matray

“He works so hard with me, he comes to so many events and he’s so engaging with people and genuinely interested.”

The Lord Mayor also revealed that Mr Sutherland’s official title was initially “consort” after she won office, but it’s now “regent” because people had joked about him “consorting” and being a concubine.

“Whilst it was sort of funny at the start it just became ridiculous, so now he’s the regent, and proudly the regent,” she told Joy FM.

Mr Sutherland works in the property industry. They have two sons.

Cr Capp said she was a positive person and welcomed constructive feedback about her performance, but admitted being affected by the unrelenting level of public scrutiny.

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“When the emails finish with ‘you are a disgrace, you need to be voted out’ … assumptions have been made or judgments have been made that aren’t correct,” she said.

“When we can get feedback that’s constructive and focused on how we can be better, that’s fabulous.

“But when it’s so negative and personal … it can be very deflating.”

The Lord Mayor was elected in May last year after the resignation of Robert Doyle amid a sexual harassment scandal.

She has indicated she will run at council elections due in late 2020.

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