How every MP voted on abortion decriminalisation
MPs have voted to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales so that women cannot be prosecuted for terminating their pregnancy at any stage. The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill passed by 379 votes to 137 on Tuesday evening, in what is regarded as the the biggest shakeup to reproductive rights in almost 60 […]
UK government commissions state funded abortion services in Northern Ireland
Having previously decriminalisd abortion in 2019, during a prior period when the Northern Ireland Assembly was not sitting, the UK government has now commissioned state funded abortion services in Northern Ireland. Up until now, those women who were over ten weeks pregnant and who therefore were unable to access abortion-inducing pills, have been travelling to […]
So-called ‘buffer zones’ illustrate why politicians must protect freedom of speech
Legislation that proposes a cure worse than the disease should give Parliamentarians pause. Often, we think of the Public Order Bill in the context of eco-warriors supergluing themselves to the M25 or to frames of portraits in the National Gallery or, closer to home, around the Speaker’s chair in Parliament. These events cause serious disruption […]
Debate on abortion rights: Milling treads carefully
Following an urgent question regarding the US Supreme Court decision to allow states to decide of the legality of abortions, foreign minister Amanda Milling made a statement on the matter. Milling told MPs that “the UK is proud to defend and promote universal and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights”. But Milling didn’t slam […]
Commons must listen to child safeguarding concerns and reject at-home abortion
Last month, the Government announced their very welcome decision to bring ‘at-home’ abortion, where both sets of abortion pills can be taken at home without medical supervision, to an end later this year. As the Government has said, ‘at-home’ abortion was never intended to be a permanent measure, rather it was an emergency response to […]
It’s time to protect women’s health and safety by ending ‘at-home’ abortion
At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, the UK, and subsequently the Welsh and Scottish Governments, approved huge changes to abortion laws, allowing for the first time women to carry out their own abortions at home. After a phone or video consultation, women who are under 10 weeks pregnant in England and Wales […]
‘Doing nothing’ on NI abortion rule puts women at risk
The government announced today that they would intervene to enforce abortion laws in Northern Ireland. The secretary for Northern Ireland, Brandon Lewis, said that “doing nothing actually means that people are at risk”. The DUP contested the decision, saying it was up to Northern Ireland to decide on its own rules.
New abortion rules ‘must remain’ after the pandemic
The changes are not just better and safer for women, they level the playing field.
Home abortions ‘a disservice’ to women
Conservative MP Sally-Ann Hart makes the case for ending home abortions with immediate effect.
The Isle of Man: Where women have voted for 137 years but are still fighting for abortion
Most Manx women still have to travel to the UK to get an abortion
