What kind of response did the resQolution on the NHS get at the La bour Party Conference?
Ato the demand for free contracep- There was a really good response tion and abortion on request. This demand was important in the NAS resolution because women cannot have the right to choose if there are no facilities available.
Was there a resolution specificalQly about abortion?
Yes, but no time was allocated to Adiscuss it. Some members of the NEC did not want to discuss abortion because they were frightened that Labour MPs in seats with a large number of Catholic voters might get defeated if the Labour Party openly supported abortion.
Supporters of NAC organised a petition calling for the debate on abortion. Over 100 delegates from Constituency Labour Parties plus some MPs signed it. All the ASTMS delegation and representatives from ost of the other trade unions also signed. Although we tried to challenge Standing Orders, we were unCORSI Q Where does that leave us now as regards the position of Labour Barbara Castle said whatever Con Aference decided, Labour MPs would not be bound. left to their "individual conscience' on how they should vote. If Labour MPs are supposed to be representing the interests of the working class, there should be no question of allowing a free vote on an issue like abortion. that it is clear the White Bill will But will they have to vote now not come before the final session of Parliament this year?
Two things are now coming up. A First, the Third Report of the Select Committee. This has caused a lot of confusion. The women Labour MPs who fought against the anti-abortionists throughout the Committee meetings, sold out and signed a unanimous restrictive Report.
The Third Report's proposals are recommendations to the Department of Health and Social Security. On 13 October, Barbara Castle has promised a statement saying whether the DHSS favours these recommendations. the MPs don't challenge her statement, it will go through and be implemented in 42 days.
Among other things, all women will then be refused abortions unless REVOLUTION FREL EVA FOREST AND ALL Photo: ANDREW WIARD (Report) Photo: ANDREW WIARD (Report)
members. Conference and active in the NAC they have been referred by agencies It would be tary of State.
limited in the numbers of 'foreign' women they can see.
ahead without even a discussion!
Led?
Bill under discussion. As a Private Sure it will be discussed for the life of Labour is in office.
abortionists like Leo Abse, should be allowed to hide away in Westideas, when abortion is a decision Sort and any future reports rest only with the MPs then? ********************** the ruling class, and its members devote their time, energy and resources to the socialist revolution.
italist policies of the Labour Government: * Against Wilson's attacks on workers' living standaras * Against private practice and the cuts in social expenditure.
The IMG supports: * Every fight against the £6 norm * Strugyles against sackings and redundancies. * The struggle for women's liberation * Troops Out of Ireland * The fight against racism and fascism * Solidarity with the workers in Portugal and Spain and conferences. We have analysed their importance in our paper and have used our paper to widen their basis of support. We have the Shrewsbury pickets, and many other issues.
movements into a united struggle against capitalism.
We have no rich backers or sympathetic capitalists to finance us.
can help us to meet the needs of the international class struggle by donating money. We need £15,000 to: * Build a 16-page Red Weekly * Organise a Scottish Centre * Allocate more full-time workers to our campaigns and bureaux registered with the SecreAlso, clinies will be Secondly, Parliament will be circulated with an order paper to reconstitute the Select Committee. If there are no MPs who protest, this will go Why are you opposed to the Select Committee being re-constitutBecause it was set up as a manoeuAvre. Its aim is to keep the White Member's Bill it was doomed to fail- failt to fight. most of these Bills fall. But by Qyou talking about? putting it into a Select Committee, A for example. the Committee this lasts as long as No Select Committee, particularly one with a majority of avid antiquestion. minster discussing White's backward for the mass of women whom it affects. against White's Bill was narrowly the restrictions in the Third Rep- Does the decision to implement passed The International Marxist Group is an organisation dedicated to the overthrow of capitalism. It is engaged in permanent struggle against The IMG has been in the forefront of the fight against the pro-capTo aid these struggles we have organised demonstrations, meetings also produced a constant flow of pamphlets and leaflets on the EEC, Ireland, Portugal, the Arab revolution, abortion, housing, car workers, The IMG works consistently to draw together all these political But the revolutionary work of the IMG takes money and resources Organising demonstrations and producing literature needs hard cash.
we have is the revolutionary internationalism and commitment of our If you support our aims, if you agree with our struggle then you * Increase and improve our publications and strengthen our apparatus.
Send money/cheques/postal orders payable to 'The Week' to: IlviG No! The opposite. The Trades UnAion Congress, the Women's TUC and the Labour Party have all passed resolutions which make it eas ier for us to organise at work, in our unions, in hospitals, at colleges and in our local Labour Parties. But we have to start to campaign nowwith pickets on DHSS offices on 13 October, and with a national week of action in November, using every means to warn of the dangers from the Select Committee's propos als. The MPs will only be prepared to take up the fight when they see what the consequences are if they What kind of consequences are Take what happened to Prentice, We should do the same thing on this issue. In Newcastle, the papers have been reporting how the Labour Party is being split down the middle on the abortion Some members of the General Management Committee threatened to resign because a resolution In Bolton, both East and West CLPs voted against White's Bill. But David Young, the East Bolton *******************. bers are surely wondering why Young is 'representing them in Parliament when he is in no way bound by their views Even in White's constituency a letter has been written to him, criticising his action on abortion. This is a good start-but now they have to organise against him and get him replaced as an MP.
How can we use the NHS resoluOtion passed by the Labour Party?
• Restrictions on a woman's righ Ato choose just won't simply com through the manoeuvres of the Government and the Select Committee. They are also affected by every cutback the Government carries out against the NHS The Government is committed to running the NHS into the ground. Many MPs piously argue against White's Bill and we'll even see some of them taking up a fight against the Select Committee: But what side are they on when the decisions are taken to cut back NHS facilities? For a real choice, we have to organise not only against the immediate threats of the proposals from the Sel ect Committee, but also against the Labour Government's attack on the 16-15 imperial college ABORTION A Photo: PETER HARRAP (Report)
KEEP IT LEGAL KEE Photo: CHRIS DAVIES (Report)
red weekly 9 october 1975 ‹e school for children staying away from the school being run by the ILEA to break their strike. education/tv 9
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