ALTON'S bill has failed to get through its third reading. In a major victory for women, the biggest challenge to a woman's right to choose since the passing of the 1967 act has failed.
But now is no time for complacency: further attacks on abortion rights can be predicted. The momentum that has been built up over the past months of mass campaigning must be sustained. Those active in the Fight Alton's Bill (FAB) campaign should now be building the National Abortion Campaign (NAC) with the aim of defending and extending a woman's right to choose.
In drawing a balance sheet of the FAB campaign, the main lesson to be learned is that a mass campaign with an orientation to the labour movement is the best strategy for success. The parliamentary tactics of the pro-choice MPs played an important role in talking out the bill; but it was the mass movement outside parliament which was the key to defending the '67 act.
Activists in the FAB campaign have already begun making their own assessment of the campaign. Three problems stand out.
First, formal support from the labour movement was very easy to obtain, but effective support was weak. The new realists find it difficult to mobilise on social questions -particularly difficult social issues like abortion time limits - when they refuse to back their members on economic issues.
In Leigh constituency Labour party, Lesley Farrington has found herself witch hunted for asking her MP to abide by Labour Party policy.
The Labour Party nationally refused to place a three line whip on MPs, despite the fact that the Alton bill was clearly against party policy. Labour MPs were able to use their
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Fighting Alton's bill: the mass movement was the key to defeating the '67 act 'conscience' as an excuse for supporting Alton. THE SCOTTISH Labour Party conference in March decided to support a campaign to disrupt the government's poll tax registration plans. The campaign was to use every means necessary within the law.
The votes of the trade union delegations had ensured rejection of any plans for a campaign for non-payment of the poll tax. Such a