Northern Ireland politicians united last night to oppose an attempt to legalise abortion in the Province.
They closed ranks after a cross-party group of MPs at Westminster put down an amendment that would, if passed, extend the 1967 Abortion Act to the Province.
It was tabled by Labour MP Diane Abbott, who argued that women throughout the UK should ha
ve the same rights.
The DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson said his party would fight tooth and nail any move to introduce the legislation into the Province.
The Stormont Junior Minister said: “Every political party in the Northern Ireland Executive is opposed to the extension of the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.
“The leaders of the four main parties and the four main Churches wrote to every MP stating their opposition to the extension of the 1967 Act.
“Indeed, in a recent debate on the draft abortion guidelines drawn up by the Northern Ireland Department of Health, representatives from every party in the House, bar the sole PUP member, stated their opposition to abortion in Northern Ireland.
“The Government would be most unwise to accept this amendment as part of the final Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
“The people of Northern Ireland do not want 1967-style abortion, regardless of what Diane Abbott or certain pressure groups might say.”
SDLP leader Mark Durkan said his party will also robustly oppose moves to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.
“The SDLP has been consistent in our total opposition to abortion and in particular to the proposed extension of the British 1967 Act to Northern Ireland,” he said.
“The SDLP, with full democratic conscience, will do everything we can to oppose these plans and will do so on behalf of the people who have elected us and on behalf of those human beings who can be saved if we can effectively curb and hold back the extension of this Act.”
Sinn Fein also opposes the extension of the Act. The UUP and Alliance parties take no official line, allowing members to follow their own conscience, but the membership of both is also thought to be broadly opposed.
Karen Jardine, of Evangelical Alliance Northern Ireland, said: “By tabling this amendment, these MPs are undermining our fledgling political structures at a time when the newly-restored Northern Ireland Assembly is still bedding down.
“They seem oblivious to the far-reaching implications of the changes that they wish to bring about.”
Life NI’s Vivien Hunter said: “Abortion is not good for women, not good for babies and not good for society.”
See Morning View, page 22
