JD Vance warnings on loss of freedom of speech and religion at abortion clinics should be 'wake up' call to Stormont, claims TUV
Warnings from JD Vance about the loss of freedom of speech and religion around UK abortion clinics should be a "wake up call" to those power in Northern Ireland, it is claimed.
The US vice president provoked angry reactions last week when he told the Munich Security Conference that the UK and EU face a greater “threat from within” than the danger posed by Russia and China.
He was “most concerned” about the UK, highlighting the case of an ex-serviceman who was convicted for praying in an abortion clinic buffer zone.
And he accused the UK of jailing journalists, a possible reference to right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.
Vance railed against the “crazy” conviction of physiotherapist and Army reserve veteran Adam Smith-Connor, who was fined £9,000 for a brief ‘silent prayer’ protest in the buffer zone at an Bournemouth abortion clinic.
And he lambasted the Scottish government for distributing letters to households inside abortion clinic buffer zones which warned residents they could be committing a crime if they do anything in their own home that causes distress to clinic staff or patients.
Vance also slammed Romania for annulling the first round of its presidential election when a right wing candidate came first; Germany for police raids on people who had posted “anti-feminist” comments online; and Sweden for imprisoning a Christian activist who burnt a Quran.
He said: “I believe that dismissing people, dismissing their concerns, or worse yet shutting down media, shutting down elections or shutting people out of the political process protects nothing. In fact, it is the most surefire way to destroy democracy.”
Speaking in the assembly this week, North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warmly welcomed Mr Vance’s comments.
“His reminder that some of our most fundamental values are being disregarded should act as a wake-up call to those in power,”" the MLA said.
“It is outrageous that Adam Smith-Connor was convicted for silently praying outside an abortion clinic.
“Closer to home, we have seen a similar situation, with Claire Brennan, from my constituency, fined for protesting outside Causeway Hospital. It is deeply troubling that Vice President J D Vance needed to use that opportunity to raise freedom of speech and religion in the context of so-called safe access zones.”
He added that if Mr Vance had viewed the Stormont Executive Office committee meeting last Wednesday, he would have been “alarmed”.
The committee saw a heated dispute over whether new equality legislation would allow churches to dismiss volunteers if they weren’t living by church doctrine.
Giving evidence, the socially conservative public affairs group, the Christian Institute, warned MLAs of the risk of infringing freedom of speech and religion in the proposed new legislation.
Mr Gaston told the News Letter there was “resistance” to the group being called to give evidence in person and that none of the points which they made made it into the working draft of the committee report.
Other parties on the Stormont Executive Office committee were invited to respond.