THE HIGH Court case of Joan Paton, whose husband is sosking an Injunction to prevent her having an abortion, raises several vital Issues. Primarily It shows that, following their tellure to change the law in Parliament, the new anti-abortion forces is going to come through the courts.
Aboron Act, SPUC inreatenea inate wour use ine coura-damas been looking for a test case for some time. Willlam Paton has provided them with what they need. likely to grant an appeal. pregnant against her will. The only way to defeat this tactic of the anti-abortionists is to go ahoad and perform the operation, ignore the ponderous legal processes which eventually will rob her of her choice. that women raise for men to take more responsiblilty in childcare, and the right of every woman to choose whether or not to bear a child. In the best of worlds a woman would probably not decide to have a child without discussing it with the people who she hoped would share its upbringing. This is not to say that nose peopie THE JAILING of Yurl Orior Is a contemptible crime socialism. By crushing civil rights campaigners like Oriow the Kramlin simply highlights Its own utter historical bankruptcy Labour Lefts and the CP leadership to condemn the jailing of Orior.
But what do rights and sociallet democracy in Eastern Europel Not In the slightest. The Lert bureaucracy otters no programme orgaan e Labour Lefts have a record of trying to avert their gaze from victims of Stalinist repression in the East.
Union Assoclation, the Lefts have been dragging their fast. The CP leaders have played the same role, notably in Its refusal to lili Socialist democracy in the East.
- and they have really hammered it over Orioy -And afterwards, back to silence.
rights. The work of "Labour Focus on Eastem Europe' and Campaign gives a framework for such activily fighting for democratic rights in Eastem Europe, and in doing so MOCTLY I BE CUE the bureaucratic repression in the East.
White and Benyon failed to reopen the discussion on the 1967 Even if the judge does not find in William Paton's favour, he Is Meanwhile Joan Paton is staying Secondly, It is necessary to differentiate between the demand Many sense decide that a woman should start or continue against The Orlov case also casts a sharp light on the attitude of thi interesta in Eastern Europe. On one side they have moved awiltly those condemnallons represent? A serious. principled stand on the side of those struggling for democratic struggle and with one or two exceptions like Erie Haffler, the Even in the case of Klebanov and his comrades in the Trade • finger for the defance of Bahro, a Marcat lighter for socialist democracy In East Germany. And Iike the Lefts, the CPGB offere not one line of programmatic perspective for those struggling for Instead, by their silence they leave the issue of workers righie In Eastern Europe in the hands of Thatcher, the Foreign Office and the bourgeois press. Than, when these people bang the table the Lefts and the CP leadership fall over nach other to deplore the reprassion, Socialists should demand the immediate release of Orlov and other jailed ciell rights activists in the USSR. They should also campaign systematically in defence of ail in Eester Europe who are repressed for trying to exercise democratic or working class importantly of the recently formed Easier Europe Solidarity in addition we must seek to engage in a dislogue with those we must put forward a clear programme for a struggle tor socialist Such an interationalist approach on the part of the labour movement will bring us an added bonus: Its progress will aiso undermine the Cold War lobbies in the West that feed greedily of IT IS TYPICAL of this pusillanimous Labour Government that it ENDA
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