Pete Firmin, Officer, Socialist Campaign Group [supporters' network] On Saturday February 17 about 120 Socialist Campaign Group supporters from the North of England and Southern Scotland met for a conference in Carlisle.
It brought together trade union positions in the area as well as councillors, MEPs and PPCs and rank and file members. General discussions on the problems facing socialists in the Labour Party and prospects under a Blair government were supplemented by more detailed workshops on working in the unions, campaigning and socialist economics.
Comrades from Barrow reported on a witch-hunt against four councillors and a branch for opposing cuts by the Labour Council.
Inevitably, the Socialist Labour Party came up in discussion, though the option of joining it was rejected as ducking out of the coming fights. Overall, those who attended felt it was a very worthwhile day and are looking to build on the links that have been made.
• A Southampton Socialist Campaign Group meeting of over 150 heard Tony Benn speak on Principles or Power'. Over f100 was raised for the Liverpool dockers. Benn then spoke at a meeting of 100 at Eastleigh
Women are at the sharp end of moves the world over to restructure the world of work-whether it be through the introduction of the market into Britain's Naand state alike. tional Health Service or in the free trade zones of the countries of the South.
The gains of limited control of our fertility won through bitter struggle are under attack from church bréader movements for workers rights.
Socialist Outlook 98 • March 2, 1996.
But the traditions that led to International Women's Day at the turn of the century are not dead. Women are fighting back both in our own name and as part of