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Northern Ireland: MLA tells pro-lifers to ‘get a life’ and stop asking about abortion

Ahead of the election in Northern Ireland, an SDLP candidate has had to apologise to voters after she implied that those concerned about abortion should “go and get a life”.

Sinéad McLaughlin, who hopes to hold her seat in the upcoming election on 5 May, complained that voters were asking her about her position on abortion saying: “I’m sick of going round doors and listening to this never-ending ‘what’s your position and what’s not your position around abortion.’ Like, you know, seriously [it’s] 2022, go and get a life”.

She made the disparaging comments in the context of an SDLP Zoom meeting in which she proudly discussed her efforts to make the party more pro-abortion. Her comments were widely shared on social media and have come under sharp criticism. 

The Aontú candidate for South Down, Rosemary McGlone, said: “[McLaughlin] suggests voters who dare to ask such questions should ‘go and get a life’. Lovely”.

Declan McGuinness, brother of the former Sinn Féin leader, Martin McGuinness, said that McLaughlin’s views were a “two fingers up” to Derry voters from the SDLP.

Pro-life group Precious Life shared Ms McLaughlin’s remarks and urged pro-life voters to “strategically use the transfer voting system to ensure only pro-life candidates are elected”.

McLaughlin subsequently issued an apology for her “poor choice of words and for the offence that this has obviously caused”.

In a Facebook post, she said: “Upon rewatching the footage, I think that my choice of words in the moment did not reflect the point that I was trying to make. So, for clarity, while I am pro-choice and have a deep conviction on this matter, I do not in any way want to disparage or denigrate those who, for their own reasons and with their own experience, hold a differing view”.

Abortion was forced on Northern Ireland in 2019 by Westminster against the will of every Northern Irish MP that took their seat in the House of Commons at the time.

SDLP MPs become first NI MPs to vote to impose extreme abortion regime on NI

In 2020, the SDLP’s two sole MPs, along with Alliance Party MP Stephen Farry, voted in favour of a motion approving the Government’s decision to impose an extreme abortion regime on Northern Ireland.

Colum Eastwood and Claire Hanna joined in with MPs from Great Britain in approving the motion by 253 votes in favour and 136 against.

Prior to the 2019 election, all Northern Ireland constituent MPs who took their seat in the House of Commons had voted against introducing the extreme abortion regime.

SDLP prevents progress of Bill that would have prevented extreme NI abortion law

In October 2020, the SDLP, a self-proclaimed pro-life party, sabotaged a Bill that would have prevented an extreme abortion regime from being imposed on Northern Ireland.

A last-ditch attempt to form a Northern Ireland Executive on 21 October 2020, which would have prevented Westminster MPs from being able to force abortion on the province, failed after SDLP leader Colum Eastwood dismissed the move as a political stunt – yet staged a walkout with his party.

By walking out, the SDLP made the decision not to support the efforts to stop Northern Ireland from having one of Europe’s most extreme abortion laws imposed on them by Westminster.

This unilateral decision was made by the party despite a significant majority of its supporters outlining their opposition to the abortion regulations.

A poll, weighted to reflect Northern Irish society, revealed that 66% of SDLP voters were against the regulations.

Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson said: “McLaughlin may say that she does not wish to disparage or denigrate those with views different from her own, but her words speak for themselves. She clearly holds those voters who are concerned to safeguard the rights of unborn children in contempt. Perhaps, if she doesn’t want to hear views different from her own, she’s picked the wrong career path”.

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Help fight major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.

Dear reader,

Despite the Leadbeater assisted-suicide Bill passing its Third Reading on 20 June, it scraped through by just 23 votes (314-291) after enjoying a 55-vote majority at Second Reading. Had 12 more MPs switched sides, the Bill would be dead. It now limps into the Lords with a wafer-thin majority, where peers can amend, delay or reject it outright.

THE CHALLENGE

Dignity in Dying, My Death My Decision and Humanists UK have poured millions into pushing assisted suicide and will fight hard to stop the Lords overturning the Bill.

At the same time, the Antoniazzi abortion-up-to-birth amendment, passed by MPs in June, also heads to the Lords. If it becomes law, it would no longer be illegal for women to perform their own abortions for any reason – including sex-selective purposes – and at any point up to and during birth.

We will be up against the UK’s largest abortion providers, BPAS and MSI Reproductive Choices (formerly Marie Stopes), who are expected to push for even more extreme changes to our abortion laws in the Lords.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Thousands of vulnerable lives are now at stake. Battling these two threats is the biggest and most expensive effort in our history, and has drained our limited resources. To fight effectively on both fronts, we aim to raise £200,000 by midnight this Sunday (13 July 2025).

Every donation, large or small, will help protect lives, and UK taxpayers can add 25p to every £1 through Gift Aid at no extra cost.

Will you make a donation now to help protect vulnerable lives from these major threats?

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to protect vulnerable lives

Help stop three major anti-life threats.

Help fight major assisted suicide and abortion up to birth threats.