THIS plenty to say NEC that we do today.
In 1923 the workshop opportunities with the NEC'.
Day. The The candidates, As WEEKEND's will have about positive discrimination in the Labour Party. It is however, not exactly a new topic for debate. Way back in the which twenties our sisters were campaigning away on this issue and often meeting the same stubborn indifference from the male-dominated NEC received petition urging that 'fuller ing given for women members of the party becoming parliamentary candidates'. The NEC'S reply was abrupt, and rather unhelpful to say the least. It read 'the selection of there candidates was a matter that rested in the hands of the local parties and not But that year the NEC did not exactly ignore women as it produced a circular to all the local parties entitled The Organisation of Women and Women's circular explained: "The results of the general election (1922) have brought home forcibly before us the primary importance both of securing the votes of women electors and of getting a large number of women take part in an electoral campaign.' By 1928 when the voting age for women had been reduced from 30 to 21 thereby enfranchising around five million new women voters, Labour was once again very interested in the women's vote. where women's sections naturally enough thought this was a good time to have more women candidates so back they went to the NEC with a resolution from the Labour Women's Conference held that year. Their suggestion was to set up a special Women's Section fund and then to draw up a list of women the le to beens sections. sections. delegate asked, have 'any Labour candidates ever reached parliament unless they had financial help on lo say the constitution alter to fulfull ine quirements of the movement and make possible the adoption of working class women candidates.' The NEC simply told the women's sections that this was not on, as it 'would require very important and far canne cales in the present con stitutional method of promoting and selecting candidates.' the party did have one advantage at least over us in 1924. Then there were 14 women Labour MPs out of a total representation of 191. Now with the election of Ann Clywd we have 11 Labour women out of a total of 242 might call progress reverse!
At least at that time Labour women did have a paper. Launched in 1913 Labour Woman was finally folded up in 1971. In its early years, particularly '20s, it was a lively campaignnewspaper which not took up women's struggles in Britain but opened its columns to international socialists like Clara Zetkin and Alexandra Zollantai. It was sold by the then thriving women's of which were 1828 by 1929.
Woman, like the women's sections it spoke for, was very concerned about and its 1920 reports a resolution dealing Ireland moved by Mrs Crabb from Macclesfield at that year's Women's The resolution read: This conference strongly condemns the government's policy in Ireland and demands the immediate withdrawal of troops from Ireland and the granting of the right of self determination.' Only two votes were cast against the resolution. At the following year's conference the words of the Manchester delegate, Ms Wilkinson, have a familiar and uncomfortable ring today.
She told conference '... it is difficult to understand the incredible apathy of British people with regard to what is going on only seven hours distance from they were sitting so tably'. This weekend delegates discuss Ireland it will be as remember those words said 63 years ago by our sister from Manchester.
Today women in the Labour Party still have to take on many of the same battles and fights that women did in the '20s. But we do this from a stronger position and we also have the advantage of their experiences, provided we are willing to learn from those early women pioneers of the labour movement. organised And for the women's section of the national executive to be elected by the organised women in the movement.
You said that the union women wanted to see things more organised. Obviously the opposition of the unions is one of the big obstacles to WAC. How do you see dealing with that? Also could you say something about the fact that at previous women's conferences it's been presented that there is a big division, that the union women don't want the changes that WAC proposes. Do you think that's true?