Ducking out on gay rights

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ONE of the most outrageous fudges in the 'campaign document' is on gay rights.

'We are concerned that homosexuals are unfairly treated. We will take steps to ensure that they are not discriminated against _ especially in employment and through the laws of privacy". . That's all it says. Not even the Labour Programme 82 commitment to reduce the age of consent for gay men to 18 is included, let alone the more radical policies widely supported in the party.

Ireland is an issue, like nuclear weapons, on which Labour's policy faces two ways. Just as commitment to NATO clashes with unilateral nuclear disarmament, so does commitment to the artificial British created Northern Ireland state contradict the aim of a united Ireland.

The campaign document, like Labour's Programme 82, even promises to try to establish a 'devolved administration' in the Six Counties. And it fails to incluc the policy, passed by the last Labour conferof The revised version of the SLV statement is now ready, and can be obtained from SLV, 28 Middle Lane, London N8. Send SAE.

ence, plastic banning bullets.

On abortion rights, the campaign document's wording is subtly and suspicicusly different from Programme 82. The Programme promised 'to ensure that all women have a right of choice in the termination of a pregnancy"; the campaign document promises that 'we will remove barriers to the existing right of choice.

ever had halt-nullied its vote to Labour MPs.

On reversing cuts, there are no precise commitments. The Labour Programme 82 commitment to increase the NHS budget by 3% a year in real terms has gone.

A number of important proposals are still in the document: repeal . of the Nationality Act and Immigration Acts; repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act; a promise that 'we will not permit the siting of cruise missiles in this country" (which logically should mean removing them if they are already here); a commitment to repeal Tory anti-union laws; £30 a week and union rights for youth training schemes, and $20 for 16-19 year old students; abolition of the Tory-imposed NHS charges for 'overseas visitors'; a one-year rent freeze; and renationalisation with purchase-price compensation of sectors hived off.

Withdrawal from the EEC is also there - something that many (by no means all) SO supporters consider to be a nationalist diversion, but a policy strongly supported by the majority of the left.

As well as campaigning on the issues that aren't in the document, we will also need to make sure that these points which are in it aren't lost in the manifesto.

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Even the Programme, how- promise dy grantil adies