CPers fa. out

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THE first conference of the Women's Reproductive Rights Campaign was held in Cardiff on 21/22 January. The campaign' grew out of an understanding that there are many issues concerned with reproduction and fertility control that need to be brought to public attention. The view developed during womens' involvement in the National Abortion Campaign (NAC), where through the years a number of women found that abortion was not the central issue for all women. They feel that it needs to be placed in the context of all women's experiences of fertility control and reproductive choice.

Over 150 women attended from all parts of Britain. Workshops were held on Sexuality, Abortion, Contraception, Maternity. NHS cuts. Alternative Health, Older Women's Rights, Young Women's Rights, Black Women and Racism, and on the Sunday, on the focus and organisation of the campaign.

The main discussion in Sunday's plenary session centred on racism in the NHS, where abortion is sometimes only allowed to black women when sterilisation or an IUD is agreed to, as well as the racist attitude of some staff.

The wider issues of black women's involvement in campaigns like WRRC and racism within the women's movement were also discussed.

Young women's right to confidential contraceptive advice also came up.

It was clear that many of the issues on the agenda need full discussion. Many have not been taken up before and the politics By Jane Ashworth FOLLOWING last week's four expulsions and a suspension, foment in the Communist Party continues as the Executive Committee have demanded the resignation of Tony Chater and David Whitfield, "tankie' editor and deputy editor of the Morning Star.

The battle for the Star is the most public expression of the deep division in the CP. The hardline Stalinists are in control of the paper, but the EuroCommunists, supporters of Marxism Today, are the majority in the Party. Until now, the Party has maintained a harmonious relationship with the once nominally independent PPPS who actually own and produce the Star.

Now with the clash of ideas between editorial staff and the Party's committees the PPPS is asserting its independence and the Party is fighting back. In fact the PPPS are trying to ensure their control of the paper by fund raising to buy their own printing press. At present, the Morning Star is printed on the Party's press.

Last week's expulsions, three for refusing to accept that they were wrong to circulate an alternative election slate at Party Congress and the other for publishing a critical pamphlet outside of the normal channels, are part of the Executive's clampdown on the defeated and troublesome minority.