Nelson's Column: Feminists failed to turn votes for women into jobs for women
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A hundred years ago on Tuesday women aged over twenty-nine-and-a-quarter who owned some furniture had good reason to celebrate.
On 6th February 1918 the Representation of the People Act gave those over 30 with property the vote. And they got to use it when Britain went to the polls in December.
Constance Markiewicz became the first woman to be elected an MP. But as she represented Sinn Fein she wouldn’t take her seat.
Some things never change. And many women argue they still haven’t.
The equal pay battle is still to be won, and sexual harassment banished from the workplace . Which is why I support sentiments behind the #TimesUp and #MeToo campaigns.
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Yet elsewhere militant feminism has done women a disservice. Take attempts to ban topless Page 3 girls by Labour’s Clare Short, Harriet Harman and Green leader Caroline Lucas.
They claimed it demeaned women. Yet when Colin Firth, Daniel Craig and that geezer from Poldark displayed their nipples on screen no one suggested it diminished men.
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I never met a glamour model doing this kind of work who felt exploited by it.
They had a couple of assets to capitalise on much as premiership footballers make a mint out of a pair of legs. And their career lifespans were similar.
To hound them out of work was a restraint on trade, and it is an odd sort of sisterhood that would deny women employment.
Page 3 is now in the dustbin of history, not because campaigners won but because the public appetite for it was lost.
Formula One grid girls , and walk-ons used by the Professional Darts Corporation are the latest victims of this nonsense. No longer escorting players to the stage will cost them dearly.
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Charlotte Wood said she’d lose 60 per cent of her income adding: “My rights are being taken away.” I’m with you Charlie. It’s sex discrimination.
Women battled for 164 years to legalise abortion. It gave them the control they were demanding over their own bodies.
And if that principle is accepted then they must also have the right to show those bodies off if they freely choose to do so.
NELSON’S i
Tory MP Chris Heaton-Harris tweets: “I simply can’t believe I’ve been nominated for this year’s Scepticism Award.”
CRACKING THE WHIP
David Davis will tomorrow reject EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier’s conditions for Brexit transition.
Good luck with that, mate. Barnier’s demand we obey EU rules by paying to stay in the single market and accepting free movement during the 20 month handover is reasonable.
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It’s like drinking in the same pub for 46 years then deciding to booze elsewhere. We have to pay our £39billion bar tab before we go.
A transition period to settle into another pub is kindly offered, and the landlord even says we can leave our car in his car park during it if it’s out the way of other customers.
Generous, I’d say.
Hats off to Colonol Bob's cops
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Tory MP Bob Stewart - known to all as Colonel Bob - walked past two policeman in the Commons on Wednesday grunting: “All coppers are slapheads.” Even for the hero of Bosnia this seemed rash as they were both touting machine guns at the time. The policemen took it in good part and to show Bob spoke no less than the truth raised their caps to reveal two bald heads.
Zip-a-dee hoo-ha in the Lords
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Peers got themselves into a tizzy over plans for zipwires for holidaymakers over the Lake District’s Thirlmere Reservoir. While the Lords complained of ruining natural beauty veteran Tory and former pilot Norman Tebbit had other concerns. He said: “The Government’s first obligation is defence. It would be highly dangerous for aircrews flying at low level.” Dodgy, too, for zipwiring enthusiasts.
Space for Arthur Scargill to fight in
You don’t hear much from ex-NUM leader Arthur Scargill these days, but then he is 80.
And I do miss the wonderful impressions he used to do for me of Margaret Thatcher.
Now Science minister Sam Gyimah is backing plans to mine asteroids in space. That could give Arthur a fresh lease of life.
And a whole new meaning to flying pickets.
Whip makes a hash over food for poor
Labour peers were aghast when Tory chief whip Lord Taylor stood in for Aid minister Lord Bates who resigned then unresigned. On food banks Taylor said: “Good eating is often in the control of people who buy the food.” Out of touch, or what?