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Scottish politician could be removed from SNP election list after abortion row earlier this year

A MP for the Scottish National Party fears her opposition to lifting Northern Ireland’s abortion ban is the reason why she is the only party member who has not been approved to stand again, should there be a snap general election.

Lisa Cameron MP’s political future is in doubt as SNP members were emailed by party chairman, Angus MacLeod, on whether they want sitting MPs to fight a probable November poll or whether an internal selection should take place.

The party has since reselected 34 out of 35 MPs, but Lisa Cameron has not been placed on the SNP’s list of approved candidates.

In July, the former doctor voted against an amendment which would force abortion on Northern Ireland. While the matter was a free vote, for individuals to decide how to vote in line with their own conscience, the First Minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, made clear that she supported abortion.

MPs voted in favour of the abortion amendment 332-99 which was attached to the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Bill, ignoring the fact that abortion remains a devolved issue in Northern Ireland.

Dr Cameron has cited that her tragic experience of undergoing two very late-term miscarriages helped form her pro-life views.

She also revealed her office received more than 900 messages, including “abuse” and “cyberbullying” after she voted against the amendment.

She said: “It was a free vote, a conscience vote. I didn’t rebel or vote against the party whip. And yet now it’s virtually certain that abusive party activists will make sure I’m deselected and lose the job I love.”

“The attacks on me have been nothing less than vitriolic. One individual threatened to come over and ‘abort me’.”

Dr Cameron confirms she intends to stand. An SNP spokesperson said that the party’s selection processes were ongoing.

Spokesperson for Right To Life UK, Catherine Robinson, said:

“It is disgraceful that this MP should face deselection and receive such abuse for voting to protect unborn babies and in favour of not imposing abortion, which is a devolved matter, on Northern Ireland.”

“If she is deselected from the SNP, it would show the intolerance of pro-life views and those who respect and wish to defend the right to life of all human beings, born or unborn,  within the party.”

Dear reader,

You may be surprised to learn that our 24-week abortion time limit is out of line with the majority of European Union countries, where the most common time limit for abortion on demand or on broad social grounds is 12 weeks gestation.

The latest guidance from the British Association of Perinatal Medicine enables doctors to intervene to save premature babies from 22 weeks. The latest research indicates that a significant number of babies born at 22 weeks gestation can survive outside the womb, and this number increases with proactive perinatal care.

This leaves a real contradiction in British law. In one room of a hospital, doctors could be working to save a baby born alive at 23 weeks whilst, in another room of that same hospital, a doctor could perform an abortion that would end the life of a baby at the same age.

The majority of the British population support reducing the time limit. Polling has shown that 70% of British women favour a reduction in the time limit from 24 weeks to 20 weeks or below.

Please click the button below to sign the petition to the Prime Minister, asking him to do everything in his power to reduce the abortion time limit.