Action Committee (LWAC) on Saturday 11 June agreed to support Eric Heffer in the election for Deputy Leader. This follows LWAC'S previous decision to support Tony Benn in the election for Leader.
Asst Secretary LWAC (personal capacity)
LWAC's decision was made following approaches to all candidates standing for Deputy Leader on where they stood in relation to wALs demanas and objectives. Following the L.WAC PreCure wrote to all three candidates Eric Heffer, Roy Hat tersley, and John Prescott - listing LWAC's demands and inviting them to dicate their views. These included LWAC'S demanas for the restructuring of the organisation that the election of the NEC section should be by women at the women's conference, that there should be at least one every parliashort list, that in line with 1985 party abortion there should be By the executive on 11 June the only candidate to even bother to reply Eric Hetter. Vore importantly the content of the reply was quite in line with LWAC's demands as stated candidates. Particularly highlighted in the reply was Eric Heffer's supPerence decision on abon- 1985 TOn. including that there should be no vote of 'conscience. He explained that this was in line with his longstanding *the Steel Bill since I voted for when he first introduced Commons:
WAC was understandably encouraged to receive this statement of support for a woman's right to choose as well as for the changes demanded to give women some decision making power DETE. DETE.
Despite IWAC's decision tc approach all candidates on the matter of the deputy leadership, Roy Hattersley's abstention on the Alton Bill and strong opposition to the right choice on abortion That the other candidates did not even women IWAC seriously enough even to reply to the approaches deserves the dis dain of women and those who support their rights in the party.
LWAC is therefore able to state its support for Eric THE results of the review of the women's organisation, of the women's organisation.
support. IWAC's correct hegemony among all those supporting change in the Labour Women's Organisation.
The need for a radical reorientation of the Labour Party on women was most strikingly demonstrated recentiv with regard to the Alton Bill. The MPs who did their bit to clear the way for David have in fact deepened the grounaswell or support for LWAC's proposals among women not only in the constituency parties but also in the trade unions.
contrast to une apologetics of the Labour leadership, mne response from the unions to these MPs failed VOLC against Alton on 22 January, many union sponsored, was very Of the union conferences which have recently taken place USDAW, and NUPE, have ai passea reso aons cor demning the voting of those sponsored MPs who failed to vote against Alton NCU the CPSA, in the face of highly funded and organised antiIn the responses to the consultation document the campaign has won Labour's policy Hany ignores une changes necessary • wants to win the electoral support and the aeVe involvement of women.
Unions like the GMB are promoting themselves as 'women's unions for good reasons. By 1995 women will be a majority in the workforce. Figures jusi releasea or Wales show that working women outworking men (378,000 women working full time and 180,000 part time, against 480,000 men working).
The fact is that the trade increasingly unions dependent on women for their existence and this lies behind the campaigns being waged to attract and recruit women workers UNIORIS like the TGWU, NUPE and GMBATU EEPTU have consistently opposed increased power to women and the demand that the women's conference should have the right to elect the places on the NEC. Democracy for the organisation also a threat to the right in the PLP.
Given the positions of the women's organisation, implementing the results of the Review to allow women to elect their NEC representatives would lead to more prominence for policies strongly in defence of the interests of women, such as For Kinnock therefore, to support the proposals coming out of the Review poses breaking his alliance with the right, the key to pushing forward on the policy the wholesale ditching of any committment to socialist change.
In order to push through any real restructuring of the party on women it will be necessary to create the broadest possible agreement around proposals that take forward the position of women in the party and can the bloc CUL THILU between the 'soft left and the right-in support of Kinnock.
That is why LWAC has decided to strong y support the proposal backed by th TGWU for an electoral co lege system of voting at women's conference based on 45per per centeach for the unions and CLP women's organisations, and 10 pel cent for the societies.
LWAC did not promote this position originally, as it does overrepresent the socialist societies, nonetheless it is the proposal which forward WURICE that has the most chance of Therefore SUCCESS women's conference and all out tne most right-win!
unions can this proposal it will be exceedingly difficult for Kinnock to get off the hook.
It is this opportunity for agreement with a series of major trade unions to take the women's organisation torward inal nas -tO grasped at women's conference this year.
It is in this light that the options being promoted by 110 11 VOLIn! strength at conference of around 3000 delegates, and other unworkable options presented as more abstract Iv democratic, are actually dangerous diversion doubt will D found welcome by the hard right.
Alternatives Similarly the accepted wisdom of Labour Briefing now organised "Women for Socialism' that the review was an attempt to witchhunt the women's organisation, and therefore it was best to try to wreck the whole busi ness, simply gave aid and succour to the most reactionary forces in the labour movement who are hostile to any progressive change on women.
Militant's proposal is to ive one vote pe delegate on the ratio of 2 delegate from women's sections, 4 from women's councils and for trade unions 2 delegate thousand affiliated COC. women members. The tact that this proposal would result in a women's conference around : 3000 potential acredited dele gates with an entrenched overwhelming majority for the unions would render this proposal laughable were it not that a majorit of CLPs and women's sec tions initially supported it.
If this was the final outcome of the Review it would mean no change and the right would be overjoyed The key to moving for ward to a powerful women's organisation is maintaining the unity of purpos women in both the and the unions built during this Review. IWAC's fringe mart of this peakers ir Da O clude Ann Pettifor, Richardson MP and Diane Abbott MP along with Margaret Prosser from tho Maureer O'Mara from NUPE
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Committee backs THE executive meeting of the Labour Women's
initiated by 1986 Labour Party conference, are a strik- ing vindication of the Labour Women's Action Com- mittee's nine year long campaign for the restructuring
proposals that IWAC has fought for, particularly the election of the NEC women's places, received majority
Boposition to the Alton Kinnock