A Suffragette Poster is Removed from the Railings of the Palace of Westminster by a Policeman, 1909

A Suffragette poster is removed from the railings of the Palace of Westminster by a policeman, 1909. The poster printed with the message 'We do not support Howard's Bill' refers to Suffragette opposition to the Adult Suffrage Bill introduced into the House of Commons by the Liberal Geoffrey Howard. This bill, if passed, would have given the vote to every man and woman who met a residential qualification. Female Suffragists, both militant and non-militant opposed the revolutionary bill that would have enfranchished 15 million new voters, believing it would embroil women's suffrage in the controversy of comprehensive electoral reform. As Millicent Fawcet noted in a letter to The Times on 14th March 1909 'not one of the women's suffrage societies supported the bill nor could they so so as long as there was 'no active demand for universal adult suffrage in the country'.