Ed Sheeran has song hijacked by anti-abortion campaigners

The singer-songwriter distanced himself from those using Small Bump to promote the anti-abortion cause, saying “it does not reflect what the song is about” in a post on Instagram.

The track, released in 2011, is from Sheeran’s debut album, Plus and comes a week ahead of a referendum to liberalise Ireland’s strict abortion laws.

The musician said: “I’ve been informed that my song Small Bump is being used to promote the Pro-Life campaign, and I feel it’s important to let you know I have not given approval for this use, and it does not reflect what the song is about.”

Irish people will next week cast their vote on whether to repeal an amendment in the Irish constitution which, in the event of a ‘yes’ vote, would see approval for abortions for up to 12 weeks of pregnancy without restriction.

Currently, terminations are only allowed in the Irish Republic when the life of the mother is at risk, including from suicide, and the maximum penalty for accessing an illegal abortion is 14 years in prison.