had protested from the Stranger's Gallery marched by torchlight through central of their songs were not complimentary. Earlier in the week Panorama produced a consider very and that MPs could not have it both ways. They use horror stories to oppose late abortion but the same ones oppose NHS day-care for early abortions as well, she said.
But it was Renee Short and Jo Richardson who really put the boot in. Both denounced male MPs for thinking ther knew more about abortion than de, just you wait in tears will come too ve are, you will Renee Short was particularly agalst men WIld worrying about the guilt that women felt after abortion.
# the guilt that men always say they suffer. Women take different view. It is women who become pregnant and who seek relief and who don't feel guilty. "ney are aso accused of not taking enough care JUDE WOODWARD (Socialist Challenge)
*e Rib, talked about what ne law. She insisted that activity would have to be for woinen who could not pefully Corrie's Bill will will not have to be made. red up and down the rows bus abortion campaign Or they queued to buy early abortion,! contraception. • This strikes me as a particularly male attitude?
It was also Renee Short who caused the most among the poor, innocent male MPs. Referring to menstrual extrachol, sule sald Wlal il was a very simple operation and one LOrE women may eventually want the right to do for themselves. 'I don't fancy the idea much myself,' she said 'But if women want to do this who are we to say no?' The very idea of referring wombs even if they weren't Yallas. mentioned by name, quite a number of male MPs look green around the Others obviously thought it was sacreligious and tried to look as though they hadn't heard.
Jo Richardson was on the right lines when, later on in Central Hall, she seemed to be saying that as long as the Bill didn't get through she didn't think it was at all a bad thing kept that the subject was airing. Many MPs, maybe plump for an abortion position on moral grounds, were brought face to face with some of the real issues for the first time.
The most significant aspect of the affair was the extent to fight to abolish the 'conscience' hope so.
demonstration.
¡ affair. There were one or two CANCIN benches, and faces versa, but they were very low key. Pressure on the Labour Party to take a clear position in manifesto establish this once and for all. well explicitly and made gills.
JOHN CORRIE: his Bill looks unlikely to make it as law but a deal could still be patched up getting a highspot of morning's debate largely anything to do MPs had to say. It came when a number of women in the public gallery began to shout out for women's rights, and threatened would not ober i restrictive laws. A long banner l FRIDAY 3pm: At last Jo Richardson arrived from the Houses of Parliament to bring the good news that there had been no vote on the Corrie Bill. She was cautiously optimistic that the Bilt would not go through at all.
She pointed out that there was no way that the pro-choice MPs could be accused of filibustering the Bill — they had attempted to discuss the real issues raised in a serious fashion. 'If anyone is to be accused of filibustering it is Her speech was greeted with enthusiasm. Whatever may be said about the wabour Party and Parliament, Jo Kichardson has to be congratulated for her determined fight against the Corrie Bill. But will she be as determined in the clause for Labour MPs.and to get a clear position on positive legislation in the next Labour manifesto? We certainly programme which was subtly anti-abortion and The Times produced a leader that was explicitly so. But these had no effect, and by the end of the week even the Daily Express was sympathetic to the anti-Corrie lobby. JUDE WOODWARD spent some time in the House of Commons and went on the always becoming a party political was unfurled before they were hustled away and the questioning. Later a number of vice women stormed Parliament in attempt to should Danger Although the consensus now seems to be that the Bill will be talked out of time and not make it on to the Statute book, this is no time for the movement to sit back.
David Steel Corrie Bill, but encouraged the government to introduce own Bill, reducing time-limit to 24 weeks, session of A number of Labour speakers also said they would welcome a reduction in the time limit to 24 weeks. A bill of this kind now becomes a real danger and, with many pro-abortion prepared to accept it, choice movement will have its work cut out to prevent it.
We have to start defending the 28 week limit right now, and was go on the offensive on the with what the question of 'viability. It is not whether a foetus could survive that • should : determine debate, but woman, already engaged "surviving' in the real world, can do without abortion rights.
heldto their pro-choice opposed the women left the Hall.
would be released before long.
MPs the protrapped in an inner lobby.
whether the in more traditional: Not the Church, not the state, women must decide their fate'.
FRIDAY 3.45pm: Hearing, that eight sisters who shouted from the public gallery were still being held in the Houses of Parlaiment a number of women proposed that the Central Hall meeting should move to outside the Commons. After a confused discussion — when some women seemed to imply that to question the wisdom of such a move was to be anti-feminist — a few hundred Most women preferred to stay in Central Hail and attempt to discuss the way forward for the abortion campaign. solicitor, who had been to see the police at the Commons, who said the women Outside the Commons it was not long before scuffles broke out. Am attempt to storm the building to win the release of the women inside resulted in a few women getting past the security checks on the main door, only to be The police violence rapidly escalated as the women were ejected and others were pushed away from the doors. Tempers rose even higher, and before long a few women were arrested and taken away.
The question whether the move to Parliament was justified has to be asked, especially when its main effect in the end was to disrupt the meeting in Central Hall. Jude Watson of the National Abortion Campaign was kalfwas through an eloquent speech describing the plans for the campaign when meeting was disrupted. It was unsisterly to ignore what she was saying was a shame her excellent speech did not get & greater response.
FRIDAY 5.15pm: Over 5,000 women assembled at Temple Place on London's Embankment. Waxed repi torches were sold and a jubilant procession moved off down Fleet Street. The defeat of the Corrie Balb in sight and this was reflected in the uncompromising lyrics of the songs, the laughter, and the confide the chanting. 'No ifs, no buts, kick Corrie in the guts' was chanted by one group of women, as well as th One striking feature of the march was the generalised respect for the National Abortion Campaiga. L conjunction with other abortion campaign groups under the umbrella of the Campaign Against Corrie, 4 has organised a campaign that has provoked a mass response. It looks like achieving its ends in stoppi Corrie, as well as putting the campaign for positive legislation on a firm footing for the future.
It is a pity that no demonstration has been called for 15 February, but it is quite likely that one will be organised before then. There will certainly be some events on that day. If Corrie is defeated me bare to make sure that there is a real victory march through the streets of London! Ring NAC: 01-278 0153 The meeting was reassured by a th
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were being held 'at the Speaker's pleasure'. Then on Friday evening aver 5,000 women London. They were singing and shouting — a defeat for Corrie in sight - and the words
which, willy-nilly, abortion is Bernard Braine', she said. 'He spoke for at least 55 minutes.'