Peter Lynas: It’s time for everyone to make their stand to protect unborn children

How did this happen? A London MP decided she knew what was best for the women and unborn children of this place. She proposed an amendment to the Executive Bill. The clerks advised it was outside the scope of the Bill. The speaker ignored the advice.

The amendment is so badly drafted it barely makes sense. It includes a CEDAW wish-list that no-one, even the drafters, ever seriously thought would be put into law. Although the amendment clearly and fundamentally undermines devolution, parties decided it was a conscience issue allowing English, Scottish and Welsh MPs to vote as they pleased. No Northern Ireland MP voted in favour of the amendment.

Valiant efforts were made in the House of Lords by Baroness O’Loan, Lord Eames, and Lord Hay to limit the damage. Sadly, not a single Church of England bishop joined their efforts to stop this Bill.

The Bill was rushed through both houses before Parliament essentially descended into a farce. It will radically change the law on abortion in Northern Ireland removing from law all explicit protection for the unborn up to 28 weeks of pregnancy and will permit abortion in Northern Ireland until at least the 24th week of pregnancy.

This will happen unless the Executive is restored by October 21 - that’s right, 10 days before Brexit! It is almost as if it was designed to fail. And yet, a tiny window of opportunity still exists. It essentially requires the two main parties to compromise.

The DUP have now made clear that preventing abortion is more important than stopping an Irish language act. Sinn Fein are being presented with two of their three demands - the redefinition of marriage and a language act. Many in their constituency do not want abortion on demand and so this should be a tempting offer. But both parties must also be aware of another reality. After October 21, the DUP will surely only have one red line in any new talks - the removal of this new abortion regime.

We must all realise the severity of what is about to happen. 100,000 people are alive today because we did not bring the 1967 Abortion Act into Northern Ireland. That will change overnight. The chances of a power sharing government will also diminish. The right to life is the most fundamental right. It cannot be traded in negotiations and so abortion will become a sticking point in future talks.

It is easy and right to pin the blame on Stella Creasy, John Bercow and all those MPs and Lords who supported this change - Westminster has made Northern Ireland the most dangerous place in Europe for an unborn child, and those that do survive are less likely to live under a restored Executive.

It is easy and right to point the finger at the two big parties and their failure to restore Stormont. But all the local parties must be held accountable for their views on abortion, and every single MLA must be asked whether they support what Westminster voted for - the removal of every explicit legal protection for the unborn child until 28 weeks while introducing no explicit limits on abortion in any circumstances.

But we must all accept responsibility - we get what we voted for. Now we must all choose to make our stand by sending postcards to our politicians, signing petitions, participating in protests, and ultimately being willing to change how we vote. Protecting the unborn is a lifelong commitment. This is not the beginning of the end, merely the end of the beginning.

Peter Lynas is NI director of the Evangelical Alliance