I just wanted to let you know that the result of the vote on regulations that would force schools in Northern Ireland (NI) to teach students aged 11 to 16 years old about abortion has just been announced in the House of Commons.
Unfortunately, MPs voted by 373:28 in support of the regulations.
While this result is disappointing, it is very rare that votes on regulations don’t pass – the last time that a vote in support of a statutory instrument was lost in the House of Commons was in October 1979.
Thank you to everyone who contacted their MPs asking them to vote against the regulations.
The Department of Education will now be developing guidance that will determine how these regulations in Northern Ireland are rolled out in schools.
It was important that there was opposition to the regulations from MPs ahead of the development of this guidance as it will help put pressure on officials to ensure the guidance is drafted to be as narrow as possible and limit the negative impact it will have on Northern Ireland.
You can see how your MP voted today on our Where Do They Stand voting record platform which can be accessed by clicking here.