Earlier today, a large crowd gathered at a rally outside Parliament at the start of the biggest Parliamentary battle on abortion in a generation.
MPs will soon be given the opportunity to vote on two pro-life changes to the law: one amendment tabled by Caroline Ansell MP to lower the abortion time limit from 24 weeks to 22 weeks; and another tabled by Sir Liam Fox MP that would bring the abortion time limit for babies with Down’s syndrome in line with the time limit for babies that do not have disabilities. Abortion for Down’s syndrome is currently legal right up to birth.
MPs will also likely have the opportunity to vote on two extreme abortion up to birth amendments that have been tabled by pro-abortion MPs Stella Creasy and Diana Johnson.
The rally, organised by Right To Life UK and a number of other pro-life groups from around the country, told MPs and those present that “we already have an extreme abortion law – we don’t need to make it worse”.
Report Stage of the Government’s Criminal Justice Bill begins today, and MPs are set to debate the two pro-life amendments and two extreme abortion up to birth amendments on day two of Report Stage. The date for day two has yet to be announced.
No to abortion up to birth
At the rally, Right To Life UK spokesperson Madeline Page said “Make no mistake, contrary to the claims of those promoting these bills that they will not allow abortions later in pregnancy than our 24-week time limit, in effect, if either of these amendments passes they 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”.
She explained that if Diana Johnson’s amendment passes and all offences that make it illegal for a woman to perform her own abortion at any point right through to birth are removed, in reality, “self-abortions will become possible up to birth for any reason including abortions for sex-selective purposes, as women could mislead abortion providers about their gestational age”.
“As we all remember, being able to mislead abortion providers is precisely what happened in the tragic case of Carla Foster and baby Lily, whose life was ended when she was only 32 to 34 weeks old in the womb. If this amendment passes, cases like this are more likely to occur and more babies at a late gestation are likely to lose their lives”.
“If Stella Creasy’s amendment passes, key deterrents against late-term abortions will be removed. The effect will likely be very similar to the former amendment – a significant increase in the number of women performing late-term abortions at home, endangering the lives of many more women” she added.
Madeline also described the pills-by-post scheme in which a woman can procure abortion pills without ever having an in-person appointment with a medical professional as “a deeply misguided twist [in which] the state actively enables backstreet abortions”.
A contradiction at the heart of our abortion law
Madeline also pointed out that medical advances over the last 30 years mean that babies are born and increasingly able to survive before the current 24-week abortion limit, but also that the “abortion limit has been stuck at 24 weeks gestation” during this time.
She said that “the most recent annual abortion statistics for England and Wales reveal there were 755 abortions performed at 22 or 23 weeks gestation under Section 1(1)(a) of the Abortion Act”.
“At the same time, there were a total of 261 babies born alive at 22 and 23 weeks before the abortion limit, who survived to discharge from hospital in 2020 and 2021″.
“This means in the same hospital, on the same day, two babies at the same gestational age (22 or 23 weeks gestation) could have very different fates – one could have his or her life deliberately ended by abortion, and the other could be born prematurely and have a dedicated medical team provide the best care they can to try to save his or her life”.
Madeline concluded by urging those present to contact their MPs to support Caroline Ansell’s amendment to lower the abortion limit and saying “These unborn babies at 22 and 23 weeks deserve the protection of law just as those babies born at the same gestation are granted the protection of law outside the womb”.
Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said “At the moment, a baby at 22 or 23 weeks gestation could be born prematurely and have a dedicated medical team provide expert care to try to save his or her life, while another baby at the same age could have their life deliberately ended by abortion in the same hospital at the same time. This is a contradiction in UK law“.
“That’s why we need to support Caroline Ansell’s amendment to lower the abortion time limit from 24 to 22 weeks“.
“Johnson’s and Creasy’s extreme and radical abortion amendments have no place in the UK. Recent polling clearly shows that the public does not support these changes to the law and MPs must vote against them”.
