The British Government have now brought forward rewritten abortion regulations for Northern Ireland. Unfortunately, they have only made some minor unsubstantial changes to fix some small drafting errors. So we are still dealing with the same extreme abortion regulations.
The new rewritten regulations will be voted on in the Commons and the Lords, we expect this to happen at some stage in June.
DOWN’S SYNDROME CAMPAIGNER’S BRAVE INTERVENTION
You may have read in the media about the brave intervention made by Heidi Crowter, the 24-year-old disability campaigner who has spoken out against the British Government imposing on Northern Ireland abortion up to birth in cases of disabilities like Heidi’s own, Down’s syndrome. This has been picked up in the media across the UK and also internationally including a very good segment from one of Sky News Australia’s key commentators.
Heidi has written to the Party Leaders at Stormont within the last week, asking them to take action and do everything they can to oppose abortion on the basis of disability up to birth. She said: “Please do not let a law come into practice which will end lives on the basis of disability and stop people like me coming into the world.”
TAKE ACTION
Now that the Assembly is meeting two days a week it’s vital for MLAs to press their Party Leaders and Chief Whips for time to be set aside for an urgent debate and vote on a motion that demonstrates to Heidi and other people with Down’s syndrome in Northern Ireland, that Northern Ireland opposes any move to allow babies with Down’s syndrome to be aborted up until birth.
While this will not change the law at this stage, it will send a very important message to the British Government and MPs who are due to vote on these regulations in June.
The British Government announced on 25 March that it was imposing on Northern Ireland abortion on the basis of disability up to birth. In the last week, the Assembly found time to debate Regulations relating to electric pedal cycles but still has not deemed it appropriate to find time to distance itself from the British Government’s extreme abortion regime which has been imposed on Northern Ireland.
The Northern Ireland Assembly is the voice of the people of Northern Ireland. Their silence on this matter to date has been deafening.
If you live in Northern Ireland, please click the button below to email your local MLAs asking them to seek an urgent debate and vote on a resolution on this matter. It only takes 30-seconds.
Thank you for your help on this.
