Thanks to Terry for this report which will be updated later.
I have just come from a very enthusiastic and energetic meeting over over 300 people called by Abortion Rights in the House of Commons
Key things to note: The Bill is likely to hit the House of Commons mid-February
The time scale for the whole process ie the length we have to build the campaign could be between 2 -6 months
There was a speaker from the TUC (didn’t catch her name but brought greetings from Deputy General Secretary Frances O ‘Grady who is ill) who not only opposed any restrictions to 67 Act but clearly supported pushing for postive legislation
In London on February 6 (6.30pm outside Central Hall ) and in Glasgow on January 23 there will be counter demonstrations against an anti-abortion road show organised by Anne Widdecombe.
Other than this and that a lobby of Parliament will be called for the key commons vote there is no other date for mobilisation as yet
Abortion Rights Meeting
Thanks to Terry for this report which will be updated later. I have just come from a very enthusiastic and energetic meeting over over 300 people called by Abortion Rights in the House of Commons Key things to note: The Bill is likely to hit the House of Commons mid-February The time scale for the…
13 responses to “Abortion Rights Meeting”
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was GG present and if so did he demand to speak on the platform?
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jj, you are on pretty shaky ground here.
When the SWP were saying that LGBT issues and abortion rights were “shibboleths” supporters of SR were taking a bucket load of abuse from you for raising them at Respect conferences. Never once, in public or in private did we make any concessions on these issues.
Galloway’s a Catholic. He doesn’t hide it. We are pro-choice.
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Liam, Terry, Thornett, Loach et al demanded that Respect’s MP was accountable to the membership. And when the SWP finally accept they were right about this, the ISG throw in the towel. Galloway will do his damndest to frustrate women’s right to control their fertility, just as he always has. And if the ISG comrades attempted to impose a bit of democratic accountability on their only MP, he would tell them to stop acting like Russian Dolls. Democracy for Galloway means never having to pay attention to what anyone else thinks. He will cast his vote at Westminster, and allow all Respect Renewal members to do the same. He will use his column in a daily tabloid to tell women they should be seen and not heard, and allow all Respect Renewal members to use their Daily Record columns to say whatever comes into their heads. That, after all, is what genuine democracy is all about.
BTW, John McDonnell has committed himself to trying to represent the prostitutes representatives to decriminalise their trade, or at least to do as much he can in the debates that are due to take place at Westminster. The Ipswich Trades Council have organised a public meeting to coincide with the trial of the alleged serial killer of Ipswithc prostitutes just over a year ago. They are demanding decriminalisation of prostitution. How will Respect Renewal intervene in parliament? Will you all be too frightened to discuss this, in case it tears your organisation to shreds? Or will you be too afraid that Galloway will tell you to keep your noses out of his business?
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Adam you probably have a lot more questions like that on a range of issues. Would you like to submit a list of 30-40 of them so that we can deal with them all in one sitting?
It may be remiss and reactionary but prositution hasn’t been a big talking point at any meetings I’ve been to recently.
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Adam, are you Tom Delargy?
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http://www.allwomencount.net/EWC%20Sex%20Workers/safety_first%20petition.htm
For those interested, here are the main demands of Safety First, a group set up by the English Collective of Prostitutes, with support from the following: anti-poverty campaigners, church people & residents from Ipswich & elsewhere, the Royal College of Nursing, the National Association of Probation Officers, members of the medical & legal professions, prison reformers, sex worker & drugs rehabilitation projects
They would also be supported by Scotpep, and other prostitutes’ representative outwith England.
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The tragic murders of five young women in Ipswich caused an unprecedented outcry. Each of us deserves to be safe regardless of gender, occupation, sexual preference, race, age, nationality, immigration status or lifestyle.l Prostitution is a survival strategy to deal with poverty, debt, rape, low wages, homelessness, unemployment… Most sex workers are mothers or young people; often they are both. Many have been in care or have had their children taken from them.
l Criminalising consenting sex – targeting sex workers, clients or both – pushes prostitution underground. It deters women from reporting violence & exploitation. Fines & ASBOs force women into isolated, less well lit areas.
l When prostitute women are not safe, no woman is safe. Serial rapists & killers often have a history of attacks on partners & prostitutes. (The conviction rate for reported rape is a shocking 5.7%. Over 200 women are murdered each year.)
l Raids on premises increase street prostitution which is 10 times more dangerous.
l Criminal records prevent sex workers from getting other jobs.
l “Rehabilitation” for drugs or anything else doesn’t work if it is compulsory.
l New Zealand has successfully decriminalised prostitution, improving health & safety.
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I was glad to see Terry there, if briefly outside as I was in the main hall and she and others were in the overflow room. Terry estimated about 70 in the overflow and we completely filled committee room 14 so I suspect her estimate is just about right.
This has to be one of the most inspiring meetings I have been to in some time and I will be writing a fuller report later on. There were a number of leftists there as one would expect but also a very large number of student activists including those running for various NUS offices and all of the women’s officer candidates as well. There were a lot of young women present.
There was also a real sense that there was an actual beginning of a serious campaign and I suspect I am not the only one who can’t wait to protest loudly against the pro-lifers who attend Widdecombe’s road show. The full schedule is as follows and I hope there is enough support to get protests at each and everyone of these meetings:
Glasgow, 23rd of January @ The University Union, 7:30pm
Southampton, 30th of January @ Univ of Southampton, 7:30pm
London, 6th of February @ Central Hall Westminster, 7pm
Liverpool, 12th February @ The Liner Hotel, 7:30pm
Coventry, 13th February @ Coventry Cathedral, 7:30pm
Widnes, 18th February @ The Foundry, Lugsale Rd, 7:30pm
Cardiff, 4th March @ TheCity Temple, Cowbridge Rd, 7:30pmIn addition I was speaking to some of the women from Feminist Fightback who mentioned that there hae been clinic protest in South London and we all agreed that we need to be ative in doing some proper clinic defense there. If anyone knows more about this, please let me know so we can spread the word.
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Andy: “Adam, are you Tom Delargy?” is that the best you can contribute to this debate?
According to the Respect Renewal website respect are committed to fully opposing any changes in the law to restrict women’s right to choose- did the recent national committee decide how RR would intervene in this vital campaign?
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In response to jj, Liam, wrote the following:
“When the SWP were saying that LGBT issues and abortion rights were “shibboleths” supporters of SR were taking a bucket load of abuse from you for raising them at Respect conferences. Never once, in public or in private did we make any concessions on these issues.
Galloway’s a Catholic. He doesn’t hide it. We are pro-choice.”
Liam excuses Galloway’s disgraceful attitude towards women’s rights by reference to his being a Catholic. I am a Catholic. It is an insult to me to stereotype all Catholics in this way. Ok, so I am not a Catholic in the sense that term should be used: someone who still attaches any significance to this superstition. However, it remains an insult to all those Poles, Latin Americans and others around the world who do consider themselves believers while happily dismissing the Church’s teaching on such matters. Anyway, I thought Galloway boasted about his rejection of the Pope’s infallibility when it comes to gay rights. It is also the case that many “Catholics” are Catholics in name only, in exactly the same way, there are many Muslims who are Muslims in name only. They turn their back on the religion of their parents. Galloway’s being a Catholic in no sense absolves him of responsibilty to defend women’s right to conrol their fertility. And if he is incapable of doing so, he should make way for someone who can.
Liam insists, “Never once, in public or in private did we make any concessions on these issues.”
Really? So you won’t be canvassing for this anti-abortionist come election time? For Galloway and who knows how many others, although for the most part they will be hiding behind a veil, rather than a crucifix. Do the voters get a right to ask the Respect Renewal candidates how they will cast their vote at Westminster before trusting them with their vote? Or would asking such an impertinent question constitute “Islamophobia?”
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Adam, since when did you speak up for abortion rights in Respect? It really is news to me your conversion on the matter.
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I just hope the trade union movement and the TUC are vocal in their opposition to this Bill, as I do remember the involvement of the trade union movement in the past.
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#### cameron. I converted from Catholicism to atheism while a young teenager. Thanks to brainwashing from the priesthood (who infested my school), it took a further few years before I outgrew opposition to abortion. I was not alone in this. While at university, I discovered that a close friend who was soon to become a full-timer for the Militant had still to get over the religious indoctrination caused by the showing of stomach churning slides of aborted foetuses. With help from other socialists (including myself) my friend rapidly changed her mind about aboriton. I have campaigned in support of a woman’s right to choose for decades. Anyone who peddles a myth about my recent “conversion” to a woman’s right to choose is ####(DELETED- SEE COMMENTS POLICY).
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“Anyone who peddles a myth about my recent “conversion” to a woman’s right to choose is ####(DELETED- SEE COMMENTS POLICY).”
… Liam deletes anyone who peddles myths about Adam’s conversion to a woman’s right to choose?
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Liam redux 
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