The Socialist 21 April 2010

Stop these savage cuts: support the socialist alternative

Young people facing a fight for their future

National Union of Students conference: Campaign needed against fees and cuts

Left candidates excluded from media

Big business as usual for Liberal Democrats

TV debate - Party leaders compete for the same policies

Volcanic eruption brings travel chaos: Planned and integrated transport system vital

Planes, trains and automobiles

Cameron turns back clock on women's rights

Banks use microloans to fleece poor

Fast news

Doncaster - Jarvis's vicious sackings and workers' fightback

Portsmouth North: "An ordinary guy to represent ordinary workers"

Lewisham councillors' record

Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Coventry: Standing up for public services

Colne Valley / Huddersfield: Kirklees' only fighting councillor

Spelthorne: "The trade union candidate guy"

A chance to put your questions to your local Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidates.

Why the BNP offers no way forward for working class people

Anti-BNP protest

Progressive Workers Federation of Pakistan founded

Sri Lanka parliamentary elections: Rajapaksa's clan consolidates its rule

National Care Service - fact or fiction?

1936 - A play about the Olympics

Vote to boycott SATs

Civil service dispute continues

Fighting cuts at Coventry council

Strike ballot at Manchester Metropolitan University

Unison health conference

Laundry workers fight closure

Dover trade unions against privatisation

National Shop Stewards Network 2010 conference:

Previous issues, etc

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Cameron turns back clock on women's rights

DAVID CAMERON'S comments on abortion last week underlined the danger of increased attacks on women's rights if the Tories win the general election.

The Tory leader told The Catholic Herald: "The way medical science and technology have developed in the past few decades does mean that an upper limit [on abortion] of 20 or 22 weeks would be sensible". The current law allows for an abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Apparently, Cameron thinks he knows better than the medical and scientific experts who investigated the issue as recently as 2007 and concluded that there is no evidence that foetal viability has improved since the last time the upper limit was changed.

Cameron's comment in a Catholic magazine is a blatantly opportunistic attempt to win votes from religious groups.

That's not to say the threat isn't a real one. Cameron is a long standing supporter of attacks on a woman's right to choose when and whether to have children.

For example, he signed Nadine Dorries' '20 reasons for 20 weeks' pledge in 2008. (Dorries is the Tory MP for Mid Bedfordshire and aligned with the socially right-wing Cornerstone Group).

One of the Conservatives' main six policies for the election is "to make Britain the most family-friendly country in Europe". You might think this would mean introducing the free childcare or free university places available still in some other parts of Europe.

In fact, the Tories, along with the other main parties, are making no secret that they will make massive cuts to the public sector including education and social services which thousands of working class families rely on.

The proposed attack on abortion rights is just one part of a wider attempt to make women pay a large part of the price for the economic crisis.

Women are more likely to be in the part time and temporary jobs which are at risk of being cut first and will suffer more from attacks on public services.

Controlling our own bodies is a basic human right that has been fought for and won by political struggles in the past.

Cameron's comments show that far from being complacent, we need to be prepared for big struggles of women, men, workers, students and the trade unions to defend that right in the future.