paign on Tuesday 27 October: a picket outside Central Hall, Westminster. Inside SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child) and Life were rallying to mark the twentieth anniversary of the 1967 Abortion Act. Pride of place at that rally was afforded Liberal MP David Alton. That same afternoon saw him introduce his Private Members Bill to reduce the upper time limit on abortion from its present 28 weeks to 18, which is designed as an attack on the '67 Act.
Throughout the afternoon small groups of anti-abortionists left the Methodist Parliament Square to lobby their MPs.
Central Hall, Alton choice speakers were making it clear that the Private Members Bill was simply another way of attempting to claw back une gains ol the 1967 Act.
Provisions Since the passage of the 1967 there have been no less than 14 attempts to roll back its provisions. Most have never seen the light of day. But three private members bills, introduced by MICS ames White, John Benyon and John have been debated in parliament.
On each occasion thousands of women took to the streets to defend the rights that the 1967 Act gives us.
Backed up by the labour movement, the pro-choice movement has successfully repulsed cach these onslaughts.
Alton's Bill is the fourth to get an airing.
trom past failures, this Bill does not attempt to tackle head-on the right to abortion under the '67 Act. Instead, Alton claimstope concerned about preventing 'late abortions' But the facts speak for themselves. First off, in reality Alton's Bill would cut abortions over 14, not 18 weeks. Under the present legislation, doctors rena o enron me sale see to avoid prosecution and add an extra tour WCCKS onto the estimated length ot a pregnancy Of the 172,000 aborTime limits bill introduced tions carried out in this last. year. ICWC than 6000 were carried out after 18 weeks. The biggest cause of delays in obtaining an abortion is the lack of NHS facilities and unsympathetic doctors.
According to veteran Richardson MIP Where a pro-choice woman lives, significantly influences her chance of obtaining an NHS abortion - a better than 90 per cent chance in the North East Worse than is percent in example, but the West Midlands.' More than one-fifth of Ine womer WITC Have aboritons after 20 weeks THESE their before the twelfth week of their pregnancy. If David Alton genuinely wanted to reduce the time taken to carry out abortions, would introduce a Bill that improved NHS facilities.
Facts Four main categories of women seeking aDor tions would be denied them under Alton's bro posed legislation. Arguably they are among the women THOS young women, older women. women WHOSE tests reveal they are carrying foetuses with a severelv disabling condition, women from abroad Alton ana nis backers don't give a damn about the situation which these women would find themselves in if the 1967 Act were amended.
Speaking at a organised by the FAB campaign on Tuesday on saider, We Richardson said: believe (the Alton Bill) is the first step in a series of THOVeS -LO dismantle ine Abortion Act altogether. right to choose Speaking at the Central Hall rally, the chair of Life organisation, John Scaris. brick, said that three million 'unborn children' had been out to death ince the 1967 Act reache the statute That situation had to be turned around. Many speakers al the SPUC-Life rally Billed out that a first was *just the first step'.
First step peared at the rally with a Alton himself scan picture of an 18 week foetus, which has already appeared in several daily It is a picture which has been doing the anti-choice rounds for 20 years now. Life and SPUC have thrown Alton and are about to HANDS Pro-choice supporters at FAB's 27 October picket demand the turn it into one million postcards to be mailed to MPs.
Lobbies Anti-choice campaigners are also reported to be devoting their energies organising national lobby of parlia people with disabilities early in the new Anti-abortion tivists across the country are being asked to contact local organisations for the physically and mentally disabled for support.
However, in response to this proposed lobby three charities associatec with disabilities have come out on the side of the pro-choice supporters According to the Sun. day Times of 1 November: Mencap, the Down's Syndrome Association and the for Sping Bifida and Hydrocephalus said the abortion of a faulty foetus could only be for parents to decide.
After the introduction into parliament of David Alton's Private Members Bill, the anti-abortionists are geared up for another round of their obnoxious ane phoney emotionwrenching But pro-choice supporter, are also setting their campaigning wheels in motion as une growin or loca FAB campaigns SUCLOS Attitude It is vital that all the pro-choice forces mobilised by the time of the Alton Bill's second reading Friday January 1988.
action of action on Thursday 21 January.
The second reading in thil decide or House of Commons Alton's pernicious legislation goes into committee stage when, for example the lower time limit he is at tempung to set can be ad. justed to attract more votes.
There speculation that if Alton's 18 week limit were amended to 22 or 24 weeks, more MPs would ac cept the Bill. Alton and his supporters have now indicated their willingness to consider such a dea The day before the se cond readin Thursdav 2 January, will be FAB's da of nationa action. here will be a rally during that afternoon at Central Hall, Westminster from 1.30pm to around 6pm.
Progress already underway on this. Speakers from across the whole spec. trum of pro-choice support - from political parties to the entertainment world -are being invited At the same time, FAB will be organising mass lobbying of MPs across the square at the Houses of When darkness falls, an all-women torchlight march will cross Details of the route are ye o be tinalised. But HA groups should start mobilising now for this and other tional day on Thursday 21 January 1988 FAB is calling for a week of local and regional activity. Local groups are encourag ed to stage public events throughout that week.
On the Saturday before the secone reading, regional actions Such os regional action. demonstrations. Liverpool would be one such excellent focus, because that is where Alton's own parliamentary seat is.
Literally dozens of FAB groups are already off the ground the brief round-up below illustrates.
The production of the FAB national petition THE DATE has now been set for the crucial second reading of Alton's private Abortion (Amendment) Bill: 22 January 1988. The Fight Alton's Bill campaign is going full steam ahead with plans for a national day (reproduced below) underway. FAB groups should also begin organise letter-writing campaign both to the newspapers and to their local members of parlNALGO has already decided to organise a postcard campaign supporting women's abortion rights пa00Na Fight Alton's Bill campaign now planning production of badges and posters, as well as more leaflets and bulletins these Nationai DULLCIS.
Union of Students too is producing a poster for use in the colleges. It is organis ing a fringe meeting at NUS conference with FAB, and a speaker at its women's aggregate on 14-15 November.
Labour movement support is a crucial element in a successiul aclence or uns 1967 Abortion Act — as the COMIC campaign already shown. . Many MPs and leading trade unionists have already sponsored the FAB campaign.
Resolutions of support for FAB are on their was through trade union and Labour Party branches. FAB supporters should also be targetting the forthcom Later Party and trade ing round of conterences 310] building support for the Labour women will b asked to lend their support o the FAB campaign at th National Labour Women on 14-15 November The Fight Alton's Bill campaign continues to meet weeky to name our ut details of the hard round of campaigning for the coming months. Keep the cam paign informed of activities in your area.
• More information fron Gc/0 Wesle House, 4 Wild Court, Lon SAU (01-405 4801). Copies of the petition and FAB bulletins with sug gested model resolutions are available on request.
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AROUND 300 protestors joined the first national action called by the Fight Alton's Bill (FAB) cam-
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