Labour women fight for voice to be heard

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were propuscu anu iwo or- ""PRESS The 57th National Conference of Labour Women was held in Buxton and was attended by over 300 delegates.

These delegates were faced with a widè range of resolutions which for the most part were concerned with safe appeals to both this Tory government and the forthcoming Labour government to try if possible to do something.

Many resolutions called for (among other things) help for the disabled and elderly, opposition to prescription charges, an end to the use of the controversial contraceptive drug Depo Provera.

As one might expect, all such resolutions, with the absence of any clear fighting programme, were passed very much on the nod, not even receiving. opposition from the committee on the platform.

Throughout the conference it was clear to the delegates that the collection of women on the platform running events were doing their best to put the lid on any real militancy, and it was this fact that made the composite resolutions on the agenda • concerned with women's organisation so important.

At present. the National Women's Committee is elected on an obscure regional basis that ensures that the majority of women have no say in the election at all.

The composites called for a change in this system, the main changes being a call for the National Conference of Labour Women to elect the committee and furthermore, for the Women's Conference to have the power to send five resolutions to the Annual Labour Party conference.

The platform opposed each of these composites and advised the floor to vote against them, and since the summing.up from the committee was much longer than the contributions from the floor and had the final say, the effect was that each of these resolutions was narrowly lost.

March

Interestingly enough in this section of the debate came a resolution calling on the National Committee of Labour Women to initiate the first steps towards setting up a Women's Right to Work march in the autumn (in conjunction with the TUC and other groupings of women).

Although this resolution was passed with a large majority it. did not go through without opposition, for the trade union delegates objected violently to a line in the composite that said that up until now nothing had been done to highlight the problem of women's unemployment.

The trade union delegates thought this untrue as their union had once sent out a letter!

One of the highlights of the conference came in the discussion on housing when the delegates were faced with the first resolution that actually called for an immediate fighting programme.

Amendment

It was tabled as an amendment by Tower Hamlets Women's Section, amending a rather weak resolution • that simply expressed opposition to council house sales.

Tower Hamlets pointed to the need for direct action, including strike action, to defend council houses from being sold off. The resolution also opposed increases in rents and heating costs and called for tenants to have much more say in the running of things-including a right to open the books of the council.

This resolution produced a very close vote which the chairperson claimed had been clearly lost. A card vote was called for, producing the astonishing result of a tie vote at 154 to 154. Hence the amendment fell During the conference it was clear that a process of selection had successfully pushed some important resolutions off the agenda and that this was a deliberate ploy by the committee to resist debate on the more • controversial issues.

In a challenge to this approach, Audrey Wise leapt to her feet and took the microphone, demanding that her resolution on the role of the district auditor was tabled for debate:

Loud applause This received loud applause from the delegates, whose confidence in the platform was now diminishing fast. Equally there was a lot of support for moving reference back in order to hear the emergency resoluion on the issue of the deputy leadership.

After finally suspending standing orders, Audrey Wise's resolution was passed unanimously. It called for support for thè Labour GA Uproar has broken out at the BBC after shock news that the Queen-the star of their longest running soap opera-has been given the chop!

Elizabeth Mountbatten who has played the Queen at coronations, civic functions and seventeen course dinners for more than 25 years-is to make way for new blood.

A spokesman for State councillors of Camden who are facing heavy surcharges due to their decision to implement a £60 minimum wage during NUPE's dispute these: were elected onto a committee of six. This will fuel the fight next year to make the conference a fighting conference where a real programme for action can be mapped out having real NG Enterprises said: "All good things come to an end. She no longer figures in our Now other leading members of the cast-including the Queen Mother who is said to have been senile for some years-are afraid that their job may go too.

Recent statements by the comedy star of the show 'prince' Philip about. needing more leisure time are thought to have been taken to heart by the producers.

The palace coup has been engineered by the man who plays the Queen's son, Prince Charles. With the backing of a new non-speaking heroine, Lady Diana; he has engineered to top the ratings this summer with a spectacular procession through London.

The shake-up is being presented as a simple change of script but amongst people in the know this is widely derided. Behind the tight smile of the Corgi Queen, behind the happy-go-lucky days out at the races, behind the feasting,. dancing and dressing up in tunny clothes, lies the .often concealed truth that Queen Elizabeth herself owns a large chunk of the BBC through a i front organisation known "Great Britain"

She is now said to bitterregret the decision she status ment.

It may surprise readers to hear that at present there is absolutely no official record of the resolutions passed it the Women' 's C'onference.

Until the fight for democracy is won, the conference will remain an important talking ground but not much more: charge.

During the conference Women's Fightback held a very successful fringe meeting which was attended by Well , over 100 women.

The Fightback meeting ended with a slate for the elections to the Conference Arrangements Committee. Five .,. left-wing candidates TEIA+A noninod. and turn af