- MPs will vote next week on an amendment (NC1), signed by over 70 Labour MPs, to the Crime and Policing Bill, tabled by Labour MP, Tonio Antoniazzi, that would mean it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason, and at any point up to and during birth.
- The amendment’s own explanatory statement makes clear that it would apply “at any gestation”, up to birth.
- https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/59-01/0235/amend/crime_policing_rm_rep_0523.pdf
- Tonio Antoniazzi MP was interviewed yesterday by Times Radio host, Stig Abell.
- Outlining how extreme he thought her proposed law change was, he said:
- “Any woman could end a pregnancy at any time, 35 weeks, 36 weeks, 37 weeks, without committing an offence. And you are comfortable with that?”
- Tonio replied: “Yes I am.”
- (Time code – 00:12 on)
- https://x.com/TimesRadio/status/1932364290549325939
- Tonio replied: “Yes I am.”
- “Any woman could end a pregnancy at any time, 35 weeks, 36 weeks, 37 weeks, without committing an offence. And you are comfortable with that?”
- Stig later then went on:
- “Some people would say, 37 weeks, late on in pregnancy, it’s a baby, it’s a baby, it’s a fully grown baby, it’s a baby that would survive outside the womb.”
- (Time code – 00:55 on)
- “Some people would say, 37 weeks, late on in pregnancy, it’s a baby, it’s a baby, it’s a fully grown baby, it’s a baby that would survive outside the womb.”
- Stig’s co-presenter, Kate McCann, appeared to shiver and look visibly uncomfortable when hearing about Tonio Antoniazzi’s proposed law changes (Time code – 1:01)
- The video of the interview has been viewed over 300,000 times online.
- Outlining how extreme he thought her proposed law change was, he said:
- Following these comments, there has been a backlash online:
- Conservative MP Neil O’Brien (and Shadow Education Minister) said:
- “This is so extreme and wrong”
- Simon Clarke, Director of Onward responded: “Totally agree. Extraordinary.
- Conservative MP Neil O’Brien (and Shadow Education Minister) said:
- Suella Braverman MP said:
- “Totally wrong”
- Annunziata Rees-Mogg said:
- “I can’t believe anyone who has ever seen a newborn baby can really believe this. 37 weeks is full term, as this Labour MP must know. I have a thriving 7 year old who was born at 25 weeks – and although initially she needed medical support she was discharged from hospital before her due date and has no remaining medical concerns. Abortions of viable babies is not progressive, it’s barbarism.”
- Former MP, Nick Fletcher, said:
- “These barbaric policies do not represent “compassion. They represent the slow but steady erosion of our humanity.”
- James Orr, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge, said:
- “Britain has one of the most extreme abortion regimes in the world but this woman thinks it doesn’t go far enough.”
- NHS doctor, Calum Miller, said:
- “The abortion lobby has admitted that they are comfortable with 37 week old babies being aborted with no consequences.”
Right To Life UK quote – Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right To Life UK, said:
“Tonio Antoniazzi, has revealed just how extreme her proposal to change our abortion laws really is.”
“If this amendment becomes law, it would likely lead to a significant increase in the number of women performing late-term abortions at home, endangering the lives of many more women.”
“The proposed change to the law would also lead to an increased number of viable babies’ lives being ended well beyond the 24-week abortion time limit and beyond the point at which they would be able to survive outside the womb.”
“These extreme and radical abortion proposals have no place in the UK. Polling clearly shows that the public does not support these changes to the law. We are calling on MPs to reject the proposed changes”
Further background information:
- Former MP, Miriam Cates, published an op-ed in The Telegraph today, which was deeply critical of the proposed changes to abortion law (it does not mention the video – this remains an exclusive)
- Polling undertaken by Savanta, shows that only 1% of women support introducing abortion up to birth and 70% of women would support a reduction in the time limit from 24 weeks to 20 weeks or below. The same polling showed that 91% of women agree that gender-selective abortion should be explicitly banned by the law.
- Polling published by the Daily Telegraph last year shows that more than half of the general public agree that it should remain the case that a woman is breaking the law if she has an abortion of a healthy baby after the current 24-week legal time limit up until birth. Only 16% disagreed.
- Our abortion law is already extreme, with our time limit double that of the most common abortion limit among EU countries.
- In most European Union (EU) countries, abortion is only legal on demand or on broad social grounds up to 12 weeks gestation, making legislation in the United Kingdom double the average among EU countries.
- When compared to almost every European Union country, it is clear that the United Kingdom is an outlier.
- Among the 27 countries that are member states of the European Union, three have a time limit for abortion on demand or on broad social grounds at 10 weeks, one country at 11 weeks, 15 countries at 12 weeks, 3 countries at 14 weeks and two countries only allow abortion in very limited circumstances.
- Countries with 12-week limits for abortion on demand or on broad social grounds include Germany, Italy and Belgium as well as the more “liberal” Nordic countries Denmark and Finland. Even Sweden has a time limit for abortion on demand or on broad social grounds that is much lower than the United Kingdom at 18 weeks.