We wanted to begin by saying a big thank you to everyone who has already written to Peers urging them to support the two vital amendments to remove the abortion up to birth clause in the Crime and Policing Bill, and to reinstate in-person consultations.
If you haven’t emailed Peers yet, it only takes 30 seconds using our simple tool, which you can access by clicking here.
LORD ALTON SPEECH
One prominent member of the House of Lords who was not present to speak out against the abortion up to birth clause in the debate on Thursday was pro-life veteran Lord Alton of Liverpool.
As we mentioned in a previous email, Lord Alton was involved in the London bus crash in Victoria, where he suffered spinal injuries. He is recovering well, thanks to excellent medical care, but his injuries mean that he continues to be unable to attend Parliament for debates.
In place of being able to give a speech in person, Lord Alton has recorded a video of the powerful speech he would have given opposing the abortion up to birth clause at Second Reading last Thursday – you can watch it here.
The Critic has also published the full transcript of the speech, which you can read here.
NEXT STEPS ON ASSISTED SUICIDE BILL
You may recall that at Second Reading of the assisted suicide Bill in the Lords, opponents of the Bill achieved a significant win. The House of Lords approved the establishment of a dedicated select committee to further scrutinise the Bill’s proposals, delaying the start of formal Committee Stage until the select committee reports back.
That dedicated select committee will be having its first two evidence sessions tomorrow (Wednesday) and Thursday, beginning at 10.15am each day.
In the first session tomorrow, the dedicated committee will question Kim Leadbeater MP and the sponsor of the Bill in the House of Lords, Lord Falconer of Thoroton. This will be followed by a session with senior representatives from the Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of Nursing, and Royal College of General Practitioners.
You can follow proceedings live from 10.15am tomorrow on Parliament TV by clicking here.
Our team will also share key video clips and live commentary throughout the day on our X account.
If you use X, please follow us to stay up to date as events unfold.