Ex-BBC politics journalist Martina Purdy slams NI parties over abortion

She made the comments on Twitter on Sunday marking two years since a law was enforced from Westminster, effectively decriminalising abortion in the Province.

The former BBC journalist – who since quitting the industry in 2015 went on to become a Catholic nun – wrote: “The right to self-determination and the devolved process was traded by Sinn Fein and the SDLP and others, including Alliance and UUP, for cheap and nasty abortion policy.”

Meanwhile the group abolish Abortion NI hit out at last week’s Armagh centenary service, rebuking the churchmen involved for not insisting that the politicians who were worshipping with them “repent” of their pro-choice stance.

In a statement the group said: “During his sermon Reverand Dr Yambasu of the Methodist Church gave a strong denunciation of slavery.

“He described how dehumanisation had enabled this act of evil and how easily it deems people as disposable.

“They were strong words, but they were easy words.

“Rev Dr Yambasu was speaking to people who agreed with him. Indeed, all of society agrees with his view that slavery is evil, but it wasn’t always that way; 250 years ago society supported slavery.”

The statement added that abortion is a similar type of “dehumanisation” and chastised the clergy involved for hosting pro-choice politicians without raising the subject.

“Were they called to repent? No,” it said.

“Were they called to turn from their sin? No.

“Were they called to obey Christ and all that he has commanded? No.”