woman leader of a major imperialist country.
What do women have to say about this?
Certainly, a few years ago it would Have been impossible to imagine a woman prime minister.
It is the struggle of women that has made it possible now. But Margaret Thatcher is not going to take up the struggle for womens nants.
The Tories' policies welfare cutbacks, self-help, law and order and the importance of family life will all tend to push back into home; back into our cooking, cleaning, and caring role.
In this election a vote for the Tories will not be for a woman prime minister but for Tory policies.
Yet, from the moment that Thatcher entered the race for the leadership or the Party, the fact that she is a woman has figured prominently in every commentator's In January 175. the Daily Mail ran a personal profile of Thatcher.
found 'Maggie' has her hair done, wnal colour ugnis sne wears, and how she loves going round the sales Keith Waterhouse in the Daily Mirror counter-attacked, asking wny we werent given the same details about Heath.
The most likely answer is, of course, sexism.
But perhaps the Mail and much of the rest of the media were being more astute than crass. How many women will vote for Thatcher and Tories, because 'Maggie' her washing in a laundroma and chats to her neighbour over the garden wall?
niras to mother Many lin contrast to uncle Sunny the image we are being sold is a She is often defended or attacked on the basis of some aspect of her sex.
Even the left has not been immune from this. Socialist Worker has slipped on this on a couple of centrespread a few months ago attacked the Tories Thatcher around a 'blue rinse' image, and last week the front cover headline read: Lady with the Iron Heel'.
We must attack the Tories for their policies, never on the basis of Thatcher's personality as a woman.
This is not to deny that Thatcher as a woman has a real consuluency CBC HOE among the hang 'em and flog 'em brigade.
An assessment of voting intention, based on all opinion polls, shows that 34 per cent of women will Labour, while 55 per cent will October 1914 when 38 percent YULC compared of women were for Labour, and 39 percent for the Tories. The shift is not so dramatic Thatcher does have an of the Tory the does and appeal to ordinary" women -Iron who nave long ocel saying that they would like to see a woman running the country.
Mary Kenny, in the Evening Standard in February 1975, said: It would be a marvellous victory for women all over just Europe to see a woman, and such an able woman, leading the two political parties in this country. the would marvellous example, a great vote morale booster confidence of women, to know sacrificing marriage or children either."
Well, some women may find it a morale booster to see a woman in power she's a Tory.
But Kenny's last point is her most telling -wife and mother.
Many women may well be drawn towards her because of unis for te mass or wome! still wrongly believe that their best interests lie in strengthening the family.
Clearly, principal abolition of free school milk the Tories such Labour in the race to be seen as the party of respectability and the family - and in this race Thatcher is clearly precisely because woman.
Labour responded to this even it pressure by bringing up the idea Thatcher is a chauvinism despite Thatcher's are well ahead of really lie. asse she is a helped to VOLES. then little for women THE broadcasting which be run vote in the house. screened Job cutter ahoy constituency, approved. sell-outs.
of the Ministry of Marriage - an attempt to catch up.
But Labour has done little to combat the traditiona male of the working class or the male image of the Most importantly it has not vigorous iv fought for women's rights - which would have won the support of more feminists to the Labour Party and would socialist have helped to educate women fund. as to where their best interests If Margaret Thatcher . De Name... comes the next prime minister, power by women's Address.. the leadership will only have itself to blame - for having done so knock-out CONCERN the authorities to allow nothing to be televised disTuDi election campaign on the terms that the main parties want it to has resulted in an interesting cover up.
On the day of the confidence government, ITN reporter saran curen camped on Enoch Powell's doorstep in Eton Square waiting to hear how the would-be saviour of Protestant Ulster intended to As News At Ten viewers will recall, he didn't tell her. What they were not shown, however, is what first took place when Powell strode out of his luxury Less than pleased, no doubt, that such a close interest was being taken in his former hate affair with the Tory leadership, Powell lashed out at Cullen, thrusting her microphone into her throat. All this was filmed by the camera crew. It wasn't GERALD Kaufman, MP for Mancheste is also Minister of State for Industry.
His current plans include closing down shipyards causing the loss of 50,000 jobs yard on Teesside has already been closed and the closure of Falmouth in Cornwall has been DURING this general election we will be faced with a barrage of support for the Tories in nearly all the national daily papers The Daily Mirror will tell us to vote Labour, but entirely on the basis of Callaghan/Healey policies. They certainly won't be giving any coverage to the Socialist Unity election campaign.
Socialist Challenge will be covering Socialist Unity's election campaign. It will be fighting for policies - such as troops out of Ireland, for women's rights and a woman's right to choose, against racism, against the Concordat, for youth rights, begin to challenge, and pose a fighting alternative to, Labour's But to do this effectively we need cash We are entering a new financial quarter. We didn't make our fund drive target last quarter, and with the election we have even more than usual to do.
Make sure we can do it by sending in your donations.
This week's thanks to: Swansea sellers who've donated their £35.35 credit on sales to the fund drive, Grimsditch £5, Anon £50, Jo Hammond £5, Phil Tewdall £3, Des Stevens £5, Oxford IMG £12.50, Ed Mahoood £10, Paul Bellis £5, A J Najmi £3, Paul Keogh £3.
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The main union involved in the shipyards is the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers.
Gerald union-sponsored Labour MP, and until recently his union was ASTMS.
However in March the Labour Party's National Executive approved a change of sponsorship.
His sponsor union in this election, and if he is returned to office, is the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers.
Ironic but apt, then, that the Socialist candidate Ardwick, Jeff West, should be an unemployed member of. the Amalgamated Society of Boilermakers!
Send us your reports DURING the general election interesting things are going to be happening in virtually every town.
You don't have be standing Socialist Unity candidate for Socialist Challenge to want to hear what's going on.
Write or phone in reports each week to tell us initiatives you've HEYCHOTS you've made and let us know what the other parties are up to.
We want to know everything that goes on whether it's important or just funny, a step forward or a bit of a blow.
Make sure your paper has all the details that someone is responsible for keeping us informed.
which can Anon £30, Diane policies. enclose .....as a donation to the fighting Soeialist Challenge 12 April 1979 Page 3
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