Emit pro-choice lobby for wanting to abort deforAlton asks us to ignore the facts that: • no birth at anywhere near 18 weeks has ever survived • those who defend and want to extend the '67 Act support the right of choice for women - including choice for women when the foetus is severely impaired which 18 weeks would disallow • although the right to late abortions will always be necessary, the way to reduce them to the minimum is to remove the obstacles under the present laws, improve NHS facilities, improve sex education, and support international campaigns to extend women's fertility control. • doctors allow a margin of error of up to four weeks - an 18 week limit would affect women from 14 weeks pregnancy onwards.
Alton ignores these facts because his concern for 'late abortions' is a fake. His stated opinion is that the 'post-conception child's right to life' must always take precedence. As the Guardian correctly pointed out, his Bill is simply a Trojan horse to secure that for which Benyon, White, Corrie and many others have fought — a substantial restriction in the access of all women to legal abortion.
The labour movement must act now to defeat this anti-abortion, anti-woman Bill and to defend the '67 Act and support the right of women to decide. Both the Labour Party and TUC have clear policy on this issue.
The Fight Alton's Bill campaign (FAB) has been established by the pro-choice organisations and others to coordinate resistance to Alton. Immediate priorities are:
* 16 January — Regional Day of Action * 21 January — National Day of Protest, including a lobby of parliament, a rally in Westminster Central Hall, and an all-women torchlight demonstration.
• Stop Alton's Socialist Action 6 Nov 1987 ACTiON ON TUESDAY 27 October, Liberal MP for Liverpool-Mossley Hill, David Alton, introduced a Private Members Bill to parliament, which represents yet