Fightback for accountability in Labour's women's sections

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back, explained Fightback's view on how the Labour women's organisation must be transformed in an interview with Mary Mills in the official Labour women's bulletin, 'Focus' Labour Women's Conference: 'many women were very alienated Socialist Organiser Alliance To make Socialist Organiser a real campaigning paper tha can organise the left in the movement, it needs its own organised activist support - and money. Local supporters' groups have been established in ma big towns to build a real base for the paper.

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Fill in the form below and send it to: SocialiWomen's Fightback has had a lot to say about the Women's Organisation. Don't you fear that women who have been building women's sections for years before Fightback existed may accuse you of being just a trendy young Londoner putting out bright ideas that aren't really relevant?

It's true I live in London, but I'm neither young nor trendy. More important, though, is that what Fightback has been saying about women in the Labour Party has got support and raised interest all over the country, and not just in the big towns -we get inquiries, letters of support and orders for the paper from Norfolk and Somerset to Scotland. I've noticed that when I've spoken at meetings of local Labour Parties, some of the most enthusiastic responses are coming from older women.

How did Women's Fightback start?

We started by a group of us calling a conference, in March 1980. It was at the time of the Corrie Bill, but we were also concerned about the cutback in maternity rights included in the Employment Act, and the growing signs that women were losing out most in the cuts. The other big issue that concerned us, were the attacks on black women with the new Immigration rules.

Did you see the Fightback esources, and a popular campaigning newspaper. Then there are a number of changes in the way it functions. Finally we want to see Its position in the Labour Party strengthened.

To take the last of these first, we argue that since we can't make policy ourselves we should have channels through to Annual Conference. We put forward a very simple idea, and we thought a modest one, that the Women's Conference should be able to send five resolutions through to Annual Conference. That way we could be sure of a routine, continuing debate on women's rights (or other things that women considered important). Constitutionally it would mean that for this particular purpose we would be treated as an affiliated organisation.

Rejected We were really disappointed that even this simple idea was rejected and opposed by the National Women's Committee. It was argued that Regional and Young Socialist Conferences would want the same 'privilege' , but it's easy to see that women are in a very different situation-we're half the population and are totally cut out of decision making. You couldn't say that about the others.

Another thing is that it would be really good answer to those women who say they don't want to be hived off into the Women's Organisation. A bridge between the Women's Conference and Annual Conference would mean that women's concerns weren't hived off into a safe corner any more.

What about the Women's Section of the NEC?

We think they should be elected by, and be accountable to the Women's Conference, in the way that the LPYS Conference does. At the moment all the pressures on the Women's Section come from male trade unionists. Of course that raises another big question: I think some of the trade union section should be set aside for women. And though the Party can't legislate for this in its own constitution, 1 think it should bring strong pressure on the unions to ensure that their delegations to Annual Conference are properly balanced between men and women, to represent their own members better. All we see at the moment is men supposedly representing their women members.

You said you also wanted to see changes in the Women's Organisation itself. What would your priorities be?

The crucial thing is to have the National Committee elected at the Women's Conference. Open election at regional ‹ onferences, which was agre ed this year, is a very big im provement on the old postal ballot. But it still leaves by the way a huge dislocation between the platform and the delegates at Conference, it doesn't give any representation to the trade union delegates at the Conference, and above all there is no accoun tability for the decisions of Conference. This isn't just a pet idea of ours. The whole party is up in arms over accountability. Until we get this changed, I don't think there will be any real accountability in the Women's Organisation. Don't you think we might end up with a London-based National Committee?

There are ways we can guard against that-don't forget that the weight of votes at Conference will be from the regions anyway. If necessary, there can be a separate regional section-and a separate come to that!

How do you see such an accountable leadership functioning? What difference would it make?

That would depend on what Conference wanted it to do. At the moment, most of the resolutions are focused on the 'next Labour Government'. '. But there's a lot we can do in opposition, and even with a Labour Government we'll have to keep up the pressure on it. We've got to become an effective campaigning body. The other thing that I think is important is for the Women's Organisation to look critically at the structures and methods of the party, to make them less alienating towards women.

The resolution that was carried from my ow Women's Section calling fo a National Demonstratio for a Woman's Right to Job, is a chance to launc a really big campaignin initiative. If we had a accountable National Con mittee, it would automat* ally take up a call like tha and do it seriously. A present everything optional. I hope that they d take it up-it would be good sign, and help to get more positive feel about th direction of the Women Organisation.

Contact: Women' Fightback, 41, Elling ton St., London N7.