The last private member's bill which sought to further restrict womens' limited rights to abortion was in 1987 when Liberal MP David Alton unsuccessfully tried to introduce a restrictive private member's bill which would have criminalised all abortions over eighteen weeks.
Unfortunately events over the summer suggest that the next attempt at doing something similar might be all too uncomfortably close. Following a Guardian article by David Steel, the mover of the 1967 Abortion Act, proposing a reduction in the time limits for Terry Conway The bedrock of current abortion legislation is the 1967 Abortion Act that was successfully introduced by Liberal MP David Steele. Despite all the problems with the 67 Act (see box), it was an enormous step forward for women's rights.
Backstreet abortions which had resulted in the painful death from septicaemia of thousands upon thousands of
WElC massively reduced.
Between 1967 and 1975 the number of back street abortions fell by 75 percent. "No return to the backstreets" was the heartfelt chant of every pro-choice mobilisation.
The 67 Abortion Act, together with the 1970 Equal Pay Act were a key to the rise of the second wave of feminism in Britain. the Act.
Women having more eco- These nomic independence and the beginnings of the right to control their fertility were the twin pillars on which the Womens' Liberation movement grew in the late 1960s and early 70s.
For several generations of feminists and in particular for the strong socialist feminist current, the fight to defend and extend abortion rights was absolutely centre stage of our political radicalisation and activity.
At the beginning of July 2004, David Steele stated that explained: he now believes the time limit
abortions should be reduced.
In 1967 the upper limit was 28 weeks and in 1990 this was reduced to 24 weeks after Tory MP Geoffrey Howe successfully moved an amendment to decisions".
LOOK WHOS CHOOSING FOR US! week dates. late 1960s and early 70s.
time limits were always tied to the notion of foetal viability - an unacceptable and dangerous approach.
Accepting viability argument plays into the hands of The powerful organisations such Campaign as SPUC (Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child) and Life, with massive funding and organisational support trom the Roman Catholic Church and other for Glasgow. religious groups.
As a Socialist Outlook pamphlet written in 1987 in the wake of the Alton Bill
"To argue that abortion is allowable only until "viability" is reached is massive to concede there are certain acceptable grounds for abortion and limits of women's choice, that women cannot be trusted to make their own abortion, Tony Blair initially responded to questions in the Commons by saying that the government would look at new scientific evidence, and then decide how to proceed.
There was obviously some vigorous prochoice lobbying, because the following week a junior health minister was put up to argue that the private member's ballot was the proper route for this debate. A VOMANS RIGHT TO CHOOSE
No woman wants to have a late abortion but there are many reasons why it happens. I know - because I ended up having an abortion at 22 woman's right to choose weeks. It is extremely difficult now to get an abortion after 20 within the weeks because there is a fourmargin of error for tively Sections.
Women approaching the menopause for example often of the National have irregular cycles and end up being 3 or 4 months pregnant without noticing. Some young women don't realise Women having more economic independence and the beginnings of the right to control their fertility were the twin pillars on which the Womens' Liberation movement grew in the they are pregnant because of poor or non-existent sex education. Britain has the highest Issue level of teen-age pregnancy in the developed world.
National Abortion (NAC) was launched in 1975 to oppose the first private members Bill that sought to further restrict women's rights, introduced as a consequence.
Other attacks followed - in 1977 the Benyon Bill and in 1979 the Corrie Bill. By this time the campaign had built up such support that we were same level of support. able to get the TUC to call a
demonstration in opposition to the Corrie Bill.
During this period virtu- Reform ally every trade union in become Abortion Rights. Britain (with the exception of unions such as the National Union of Teachers which have restrictive rules preventing weeks, though he was quoted them even debating "politi- indirectly in The Guardian cal" topics such as abortion) July 5) as being in favour of were won to support for a reducing the limit to 12 weeks
- which would obviously be
A lot of work was also done even more devastating.
Labour Party, Women's Voice, the womens' especially in the then rela- paper of the
strong Women's Socialists (forerunners of the SWP) calculated in 1975 that
However even at the height if the limit was reduced to 18
Abortion weeks 80,000 women would Campaign, which co-incided lose their legal right to aborto some extent with the devel- tion. opment of the Bennite left Abortion Rights, together who were largely supportive with a number of other proof the issue, it was not possi- choice organisations and indible to impose a whip on the viduals are
The Parliamentary London in mid-September to Labour Party maintained a discuss how scurillous position through- against the attacks that may out that this was an issue of come over the months ahead. conscience on which MPs had Socialist Resistance supportto be allowed to vote as they ers have been involved in iniindividually saw fit - regard- tiating this. less of how many women died The ballot for the private
members ballot will take place
But although NAC tried in in late between attacks to fight to November, improve the existing situation length of time it has been both in terms of NHS provi- since this debate was had in sion and the law we didn't many parts of the left and succeed in galvanising the Labour movement it is essential the preparatory
At the end of last year NAC starts now. decided to merge with the Hopefully meetings will pre-existing Abortion Law take place in Scotland, Wales
Association and and other parts of England in the next month or so too.
David Steele's article in the For further information contact: Guardian July 6) talks about [email protected] reducing the upper limit to 22
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