The Government has confirmed that it will be launching a nationwide abortion marketing campaign across Northern Ireland if the abortion law changes on October 21st.
The Northern Ireland Office outlined that the ‘awareness campaign’ will launch in early November.
In July, Westminster voted to impose abortion on Northern Ireland if the Northern Ireland Assembly is not restored by 21 October.
If the change in law goes ahead, section 58 and 59 of the Offences Against the Person Act will be repealed in Northern Ireland. Abortion will be available, on-demand, up to 28 weeks legalising sex-selective and disability-selective abortion including abortion for Down’s syndrome, cleft lip and club foot.
The announcement from the Government comes as over 800 healthcare professionals in Northern Ireland have spoken out against the proposed change in the law, outlining their concern for pregnant mothers and their unborn children.
Recent polling from ComRes shows that 66% of women and 70% of 18-34-year-olds in Northern Ireland rejected abortion law imposed on Northern Ireland from Westminster. The strongest support among age groups surveyed came from 18-34-year-olds, with 70% agreeing that they did not want abortion law imposed on Northern Ireland.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK Catherine Robinson said:
“100,000 people in Northern Ireland are alive today because Northern Ireland did not accept the same abortion law that was introduced into Britain in 1967.
This move to launch a nationwide abortion marketing campaign across Northern Ireland promoting abortion is a blatant attempt by the Government to further undermine the will of the people of Northern Ireland. It adds insult to injury after Westminster voted to impose one of the most extreme abortion laws in the world on Northern Ireland and could lead to an even larger increase in the number of lives lost to abortion.
The clock is ticking. The people of Northern Ireland now have only 20 days to stop this. If Stormont reconvenes by October 21st, this extreme abortion law will not be imposed on Northern Ireland. It is up to the people of Northern Ireland to demand that Sinn Fein and DUP reconvene Stormont now.”
