the electorate - fifty three per cent. The Tories have maintained themselves in power since World War Il almost entirely because Labour has not addressed itself to winning women's votes. Labour defeated the Tories among men in 1951, 1955, 1959 and 1970 but lost all these elections because it did not reach out to women voters — handing the Tories 16 years in power.
But traditional Tory dominance of women's votes is crumbling more and more women enter the workforce - and less and less vote Conservative. In 1955 eight per cent more women than men voted Tory. This gap had fallen to five per cent by 1964, to 2 per cent in 1974, and to O per cent in 1979 and 1983. - » But Labour has not garned ther. votes of women deserting the Conservatives. Since 1955 Labour's support among women has fallen by 14 percentage points. In the same time Liberal and Alliance support has increased by 23 points. JUDE WOODWARD assesses Alliance policies for women.
WINNING women's vote has been key to the General Election preparations of both Labour and the Alliance.
The Tories have always rested on their vUle polls have repeatedly shown that it is among women between the ages of 25 and 45 that there is most at stake electorally both The Tories have simply reiterated their insistence that there 'women's question' in politics, there is only a family question, a law and order question and so on. So which party will be most effective in winning women's votes? And which, on its record, ought to be?
In terms of reforms that make a difference to the majority of women's lives the single introduce minimum wage is head and shoulders above the rest in significance at this election leveral easier lee inde it was fixed at. Of nine and a half million women in work nearly 10 per cent, that is nearly a million women, currently earn less that t80 a week betore tax One quarter of all women in work, 2.4 million women, earn less than £95 a week before tax.
A national minimum wage that applied to both full at the derisory level of worKers. evell £80, would make a material difference women's lives.
Lambeth Council were used, which has introduced a minimum wage of £123, then S0 per cent of all women workers would benefit - four and three quarter Labour also puts forward the proposal to create a Ministry for Women with the task of framing policies to meet the needs of women.
conducted is own show that the idea of a ministry is welcomed by over 60 per cent of women- and it is therefore potentially an effective proposal in the WIl However the same poll conducted by the party revealed that over 90 per cent women thought that Alliance and not Labour that proposed to bring in the ministry.
In man® respects this is the single most telling fact about Labour's campaign. There is no doubt that it is Labour that has the most substantial policy on offer for women, one that, if fully implemented, would make a real difference to women's lives. But it appears to be the Alliance which is seen as Ine Darly Illal Is lakig wollen a Dilully.