Brown's anti-life appointments

Briefing,

From SPUC: Mr Gordon Brown has appointed several pro-abortion ministers to life-related portfolios in his new UK government, a move which means any reform of the abortion law is likely to lead to more abortions. Ms Dawn Primarolo MP, appointed a minister of state for health, has voted for abortion on demand and for the Abortion Act to be extended to Northern Ireland. Mr Ben Bradshaw MP, also appointed a minister of state for health, supports the Abortion Act 1967. Mrs Ann Keen MP, appointed a parliamentary under-secretary of state for health, believes in a woman's right to choose abortion. Mr Jim Knight MP, appointed a minister of state for children, families and schools, signed in 2002 a parliamentary motion calling for "universal access to comprehensive reproductive health services", a phrase normally understood to include abortion on demand. Beverley Hughes, also appointed a minister of state for children, families and schools, signed parliamentary motions in 1997 calling for abortion on demand and for the Abortion Act 1967 to be extended to Northern Ireland. Gareth Thomas, appointed a parliamentary under-secretary of state for international development, is one of parliament's leading promoters of abortion on demand and population control. [SPUC, 2 July]

Mr Brown's nomination of Baroness Amos to the role of European Union (EU)
Special Representative to the African Union could mean an increase in
Western pressure upon Africans to accept population control. Anthony
Ozimic, SPUC political secretary, said: "As a government minister,
Baroness Amos defended the British government's complicity in China's
population control programme via its support for the United Nations
Population Fund, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Marie
Stopes International. China uses Western resources to manage its one-child
policy of forced abortions and forced sterilisations. Baroness Amos also
promoted "universal access to reproductive health" - a phrase normally
understood to include abortion on demand - as "central to attainment of
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)" (Lords Hansard, 7th January 2003)
[SPUC, 2 July]