DAVID Alton's anti-abortion Bill designed to reduce the upper limit for legal abortion to 18 weeks, is now approaching its second reading in parliament. Already his Bill has provoked the most widespread opposition.
Commitment to fighting it, and supporting the "Fight Alton's Bill' (FAB) Campaign, has come from the Trades Union Congress, the national organisation of Labour women, and many individual trade unions and sections of the labour movement. Support has also come, even more broadly, from the NUS, Liberals for Choice, and many medical and proressional organisanons. cven some Tory MPs oppose Alton's legislation.
This must now be - used to demonstrate the breadth and strength of opposition to Alton, and the support for provisions of the 1967 Abortion Act. FAB is organising a Day of Action in London on 21 January, the day before the Bill gets its second reading. This will be preceded by regional actions on 16 January.
The right to decide when or whether to have children fundamentally affects the lives of all women. Women from sharply different social political views have opposed this attack on their ability to exercise even the most minimal control over their lives. Attacks on abortion are also seen as related to many other attempts to narrowly define the role of women, to deny women's rights to equal-paid work or to legal equality.
The great strength of the FAB Campaign against Alton's attack lies in drawing together all opponents of the Bill. Every possible means of exerting pressure on MPs in a House of Commons which has a clear Tory majority must be used to defeat the Bill.
Within this, however, Alton's anti-abortion Bill is an issue of fundamental concern to the labour movement. It is essential that the labour movement organisations demonstrate their support for women's abortion rights and for the FAB Campaign and lead the fight against the Bill.
As with all such restrictions abortion rights, Alton's would most severely affect working class women. They have the least alternatives if legal abortion is restricted. On them will fall the worst effects of illegal, backstreet abortion, of caring for unwanted and unplanned children, and of caring for children with severe disabilities while social and health services become increasingly inadequate.
The whole labour movement must identify itself with support for the most basic of women's rights: safe, legal abortion. This was recognised by mne when u cared a demonsura tion against the Corrie Bill. Such organised support was crucial defeating that Bill, and will be again.
Defence of the 1967 Act and support for the right of women to choose is now more clearly established as the policy of the labour movement - 1: cluding in the TUC and the Labour Party. There is greater involvement both in the leadership and in the ranks of the labour movement of many veterans of previous campaigns But the battle to defeat Alton should not be underestimated. Two things are essential for success: that the TUC and the organised labour movement leads that fight and directly involves itself in the FAB Campaign; and that FAB draws together every possible strand of opposition to Alton's anti-woman Bill behind the campaign.
Support the 16 January Regional Day of Action!
Support the 21 January National Day of Action! - 1.30pm to 6pm, rally in Westminster Central Hall and mass lobby of MPs, followed by women's torchlight demonstration Support the 19 March National Demonstration against Alton in London!
• See also page 5.
Socialist Action 11 Dec 1987