[corne loody on rebrualy s. The Bill became…]
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corne loody on rebrualy s.
The Bill became immediately bogged down in a protracted discussion-with only two out of 21 groups of amendments being discussed in a five-hour session.
And the possibility emerged that it might never actually reach its crucial Third Reading vote.
But this does not mean that the labour movement should relax in the struggle to block this legislation -which • is designed to reverse decades of struggle for women's rights.
There are still dozens of Labour MPs committed to support for anti-abortion legislation. And dozens more failed even to turn up to vote against Murrav It is clear that. most 350 delegates expected conference would be firm instructions from leaders to vote for the mendation.
So convinced • are. miners that this is tant of the ạt this union recomWelsh mount Anti-Corrie demonstrators earher stages of tne corrie but.
Left wingers like Jo Richardson who have fought the Bill tooth and nail (and others like. Tony Benn who now emerge against it) must be called upon to fight within the PLP for a three-line whip on all Labour MPs to turn out and vote in line with the Party's conference policy of :"free abortion on request" and against any restrictions in existing abortion rights.
Labour Parties and trade unions must act to remove MPs that flout this declared policy of the labour movement in order to follow the dictates of their bigoted "conscience" and vote for laws that would cause unnecessary suffering to thousands of working class women.
See also to scrapping the General Strike call that Welsh NUM President Emlyn Williams has talked of the possibility of the NUMwhich. voted 9-1 for action against the steel and pit closures -going it alone in taking strike action from March 3.
The firmness of the miners' stand has paid off. As we go to press it has been announced that the NCB will provide a £22 million subsidy to preserve the 7,000 threatened jobs in south Wales.
Such a concession will obviously have the effect of weakening the fight for General Strike action on March 10-but shows that a determined fight can produce results.
Transport and railway workers must take a similar stand in action alongside steel workers to stop BSC's closure plans and defend the 40,000 threatened jobs in South Wales.