Another attempt to bring abortion to Norther Ireland

Action: please lobby your MP. Why are these mainland MPs so eager to change the law in Northern Ireland?

From SPUC: There is a proposal in the UK parliament to extend Britain's liberal abortion régime to Northern Ireland. Ms Diane Abbott, Labour MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, England, and colleagues from other parties have tabled an amendment to the government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. All of the province's main parties oppose such a move, which may be debated in October. [BBC, 23 July] Mrs Betty Gibson, chairwoman of SPUC Northern Ireland, said: "This attempt to impose abortion on Northern Ireland is extremist, anti-democratic and arrogant. The leaders of all four major political parties and the four main Churches right across Northern Ireland's traditional divide have written to the government and all Westminster MPs calling on them to allow the issue of abortion law to be decided by the Province's devolved government." SPUC is offering free badges to people in Northern Ireland for them to wear to show their opposition to the proposal. [SPUC, 23 July]