There was a 1908 (I think it was) by-election in Manchester at a time when the Liberal Government, faced with a massive deficit and high male unemployment were trying under the guise of protecting women from the risk of assault at night to ban them from working after 8.00pm in the evening (this would therefore free up jobs for men, who had votes). Esther Roper and Eva Gore-Booth were fighting predominantly for bar-maids (who would have been abolished altogether had the Act passed) but for working women in general. Winston Churchill, obviously, was fighting the seat for the Liberals on the ban the barmaid in her own best interests ticket.
Of course, if the Act had passed the ex-bar maids would presumably have had to resort to prostitution to pay the rent, which seems to be the logical result of the "Don't go home alone, girls" argument, too.
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Date: 2011-01-03 03:23 pm (UTC)Of course, if the Act had passed the ex-bar maids would presumably have had to resort to prostitution to pay the rent, which seems to be the logical result of the "Don't go home alone, girls" argument, too.