Family & Life

New Move to Allow Abortion in Northern Ireland : 3rd Aug 08

Further Attempts to Foist Abortion on Northern Ireland Despite the United Opposition of Political Parties and Churches

British members of parliament are to stage a fresh attempt to make it easier for women in the North to have an abortion. Extreme pro-abortion MPs at Westminster have launched a bid to impose abortion on Northern Ireland. MPs for five English and one Scottish constituency have tabled an amendment to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland, via the government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology bill. The MPs for the five English constituencies are Diane Abbott, Dr Evan Harris, John Bercow, Jacqui Lait, and John McDonnell, and the MP for the Scottish constituency is Katy Clark.

The cross-party group of MPs will attempt to force a vote in the House of Commons by tabling an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the autumn.

The amendment to the Bill, which is passing through parliament, would allow women to have an abortion on the NHS in the North, a right they do not have now. Labour's Diane Abbott said a woman can have an abortion in the North only if it can be shown there was evidence of a threat to her life. This was "very strictly defined", she said. I She believed there was a "very good chance" of it being passed by MPs.

However, the proposal would face stiff opposition from the North's MPs, the majority of whom are against such a change.There have previously been suggestions that MPs from the Democratic Unionist Party were assured the abortion laws would not be changed.

This was in return for them supporting the British government over the extension of detention without charge for terror suspects to 42 days. The charge has always been strongly denied by the UK government, which insists no deals were made.

Ms Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, told BBC Radio 4's 'Today' programme: "When it comes to abortion rights, Northern Ireland women are effectively second-class citizens. "They don't have the same rights as women in England and Wales and Scotland. They even have fewer rights than women in the Republic of Ireland."

Asked if MPs should vote to change the law when the majority of the North's MPs were against it, she said: "This is a matter decided by the British parliament. "I think it is not unreasonable that the British parliament should say that all citizens in the British Isles should have the same rights."

We ask our readers in Northern Ireland or the UK, to please voice your opposition to your MP. For contact details of your local MP.

Betty Gibson, SPUC Northern Ireland chairwoman commented:

"This attempt to impose abortion on Northern Ireland is extremist, anti-democratic and arrogant. The move flies in the face of the will of the people of Northern Ireland who have, through their elected representatives in both Stormont and Westminster, continued to say no to abortion. The leaders of all four major political parties and the four main Churches right across Northern Ireland's traditional divide have written to both the government and all Westminster MPs calling on them to allow the issue of abortion law to be decided by the Province's devolved government.

"None of the MPs who've tabled this amendment represent anyone from Northern Ireland. Dr Evan Harris is notorious for his anti-life extremism, and John Bercow has tabled another amendment launching a witch-hunt against pro-life pregnancy counselling services. Diane Abbott misled listeners of this morning's Today programme by claiming that the law on abortion in Northern Ireland is stricter than in the Republic of Ireland.

"This amendment is a desperate attempt by the most extreme members of the anti-life lobby to legalise abortion on demand ahead of the devolution of criminal justice matters to the Northern Ireland Assembly."

Please contact your MP, at the House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

Please contact one or more of the following people to urge them to oppose any extension of the Abortion Act to Northern Ireland:

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP, Prime Minister, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA, email birdc@parliament.uk

Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland Office, 11 Millbank, London, SW1P 4PN, email mail@nio.gsi.gov.uk

Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP, Secretary of State for Health, Department of Health, Richmond House, 79 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2NS, email johnsona@parliament.uk

Northern Ireland Leaders Confident They Can Defeat Attempts to Foist Abortion

Northern Ireland’s First Minister Peter Robinson appears confident he can count on the help of UK prime minister Gordon Brown and the Conservative leadership at Westminster to defeat attempts to extend the British Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.

As DUP leader, Mr Robinson has had several meetings with Mr Cameron over the past fortnight as part of a mutual effort to "mend fences" after the DUP's nine MPs backed Mr Brown's proposal to permit the detention of terror suspects for up to 42 days without charge in certain conditions. The apparently successful nature of the meetings with the Tory leader - coupled with the "understanding" secured from Mr Brown that the government will not propose any change to the law - has convinced DUP MPs that they can successfully see off an effort by a cross-party group of backbenchers to extend the abortion law to Northern Ireland by way of an amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill in the autumn.

Labour MP Diane Abbott confirmed the move, saying she believed it had "a very good chance" of success when MPs return from their summer break. However, while the DUP and Mr Brown continue to deny any "deal" done over the 42-day vote, the DUP's expectation is that the government would use the "payroll" vote to help defeat the proposal.

The fact that the Ulster Unionists, like all the main parties, are against changing the law in Northern Ireland would almost certainly see the Tory leadership discourage support for the amendment, although Conservative MPs would have a "free vote" on such a "conscience" issue. The Irish Times. July 24.

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Family & Life

New Move to Allow Abortion in Northern Ireland : 3rd Aug 08

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