ONE THING is certain tell them in no uncertain terms.
the labour movement lessons from the way that they voted.
What appears to be the survey of voting patterns the BBC's poll, analysed Guardian last week. Ivor Crewe The This demonstrated two important facts. One, tor the first time since women have had the vote, more men voted for the Tory Party than women. But secondly that the women who stopped voting Tory • being won the Alliance and not to the More women than men voted for the Alliance. How should we understand this result?
The decline of Tories' support among women is the continuation the first the Tory Party established a firm base of support among women. The tact that a Tory government women the VULG cannot have been an insignificant factor in this.
When the overwhelming majority of women didn't work, weren't organised in trade unions, and were isolated in the home it was not surprising that the Party's values of law and order family life and 'stability' should have had more sway among women Since the second world war all this has begun to change decisively. The massive entry of women into the workforce has altered the shape ot the labour movement. In the early seventes membership of trade unions was maintained and increased as a direct result of the new unionisation of millions of wolfich Care The welfare state has benefitted women in particular, relieving women of sole responsibility for the the sick and the elderly. The rise of the liberation movement result these factors acted to deepen the con sciousness among women that they have rights too, and that change is in their interests.
Today women are turning away from the Party which threatens to remove these rights and at a taster rate than men.
It is this historic shift in the political loyalties millions of women which is reflected in the increasingly assertive and radical role of women within the labour movement.
The role of women in the fight anallisl the missiles at Greenham Common. the radicalism of the women's conference and the increasing pressure of unions to take up and defend their hard won rights, are all examples of this.
- they didn't get into parliament. The election has resulted in precisely 23 women MPs, just one more than in 1979. If women hadn't already realised the degree to which they are excluded from political life in Britain, this result will But whether women got into parliament or not, has to learn some urgent But these women have not yet succeeded in forcing the leadership of the labour movement to itself champion une CUSC women. That is why the ruling class has been able to preseni the SDP/Alliance as an alter native pole™ for those women breaking from the Tory Party.
The SDP was launched with much trumpeting about Shirley Williams was able to present herself as the tribune of a very definite layer of the journalists teachers, lawyers acwocasicis tinged with feminism as they fought to on in a man's world.
Polly Toynbee, Guardian wolel s editor stood for them in the election. The SDP was the only party to insist that a women had to be included on thé shortlist for the selection of every parliamentary candidate.
made a special appeal to On this basis women, that at last there was that put women tirst. The voting shows their success.
Promote What the mote more candidates previous marginal prowomen that women got that cause.
women the and trade ships that fighting for Less women than ever are supporting the Tories