Former SDLP leader '˜confused' over party's abortion conscience voting decision

Alasdair McDonnell said he “can’t make much sense” out of decision taken on Saturday to reaffirm the party’s pro-life stance while supporting freedom of conscience voting.

The special conference took place in Maghera and was attended by more than 100 party members, who were met with protestors from pro-life campaigners Precious Life as they entered.

After the conference Mr McDonnell told the BBC: “I’m a little confused. I mean the SDLP always has been and still is a pro-life party. But we’re opening up that we’re pro-life but you can do your own thing. It’s certainly an interesting decision that I can’t make much sense out of.”

Of other parties who allow freedom of conscience voting, he said: “That’s not a problem for me, that’s a problem for those parties.

“I worked all my life protecting the sanctity of life and I believe we have stood strongly against the murderous campaign that went on here for many, many years, and I just think we can’t disregard the life of the infant.”

Another former leader Mark Durkan, although pro-life, supported the party’s decision.

He said: “It should be looked at first as a sensible and honest reaffirmation of our pro-life position and also an acknowledgement that there are a number of vexed issues there that just simply wearing a pro-life badge does not answer.”

Asked about Mr McDonnell’s “confusion”, Mr Durkan said the pair had stood together in asking party leaders in Britain to allow conscience votes to their members so that, for example, someone who was pro-life could contradict their party’s pro-choice stance.

He said: “Alasdair is being inconsistent. We can’t ask other parties to give a right of conscience on a policy like this and not to whip it, but when it comes to us we’re going to whip it.

“It would be entirely dishonest if we simply pretended that reaffirming to ourselves that we’re a pro-life party, means that we then have all the detailed, definitive answers to the choices and the vexed issue that are going to be before people in the future.

“We are trusting our legislators with a margin of judgment based on conscience.”

Following the special conference, an SDLP spokesperson said: “The SDLP membership reaffirmed our position as a pro-life party. The conference also supported freedom of conscience voting for elected representatives.”

This week sees a referendum take place in the Republic of Ireland on the country’s abortion laws.