[ton Labour Manifesto on women's issues is clearly…]

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ton Labour Manifesto on women's issues is clearly left wing and influenced by the ideas of the women's movement.

On health, it proposes establishing a counselling service for abortion, sterilisation and post-natal depression.

It commits a Labour council to proper paternity leave for all male employees, the extension of day care facilities, the building of three new nurseries and the laying down of minimum standards for childminders.

It promises to change housing policies as it affects women - both in the design of homes and on tenancy rights for women.

difference The Islington Labour Parties, like many others, have i been much affected over recent years by women active in the women's movement or influenced by it who have come into the Party, established strong women's sections, and played a big role in the Left.

The fact that many of the Labour candidates standing this time round support women's rights and have been active in the women's movement will make a big difference; in terms of taking up women's issues and helping women to organise to fight for their own demands.

loe

ABnUR

And I hope that by taking a strong stand, we can encourage other women to do the same.

In Lambeth Ted Knight justified rate rises by saying he had to buy time until the big battalions of industry, like the miners, moved against the Tories. But l think Labour Parties and Labour councils should be prepared to be in the front line against the Tories.

Especially in an area like Islington, with no big concentrations of industry, mobilising against the cuts and the Tories means mobilising tenants and the community as well as trade unionists. And a fight back by working class women is a very important part of that.

Many women are isolated at home. They don't go to work, and they are not in a trade union. Many are very despondent and cynical about Labour councils after previous administrations.

Through the process of decentralisation and the activities of the women's committee, I hope we can get more women interested and active.

The women's committee will be able to give financial support to women's organisThey have been anti-abortion, they have cut under-5's provision and they have taken every chance to bolster up traditional ideas about the family and women's role in it, i.e. that women should stay at home and look after their kids and disabled instead of the local authority being responsible.

In my ward, as in several others in Islington, we have 2 SDP slates, official and unofficial.

The unofficial SDP candiates are part of the old right-wing Labour Party clique who ran the Council for years. They cut services to those most in need; they raised rents; they were anti-union and they ran the council's affairs like petty tyrants.

Eventually the revolt from the Labour Party membership drove them to split and go over to the SDP. Now the SDP, too, has thrown some of the old right-wingers out, and they are standing as unofficial SP The unofficial SDP are openly right wing but the official SDP represents essentially the same policies. Campaign LABDUR AFTER MAY 6, the camp-