More than 30 years ago, an epic battle took place at the heart of the then Labour government under the premiership of Jim Callaghan.
The controversy surrounded a radical proposal for a new type of welfare benefit which ould transfer family subsidies from male breadwinners to mothers.
Opponents of this move from ?wallet to purse? were scorned as knuckle-dragging, sexist Neanderthals, and the poverty campaigners eventually won the battle. The new welfare payment was created ? and called child benefit.
