Pro-lifers vow to fight ‘barbaric’ decriminalisation of abortion as much as birth after MPs vote it through

MPs voted last night to decriminalise abortion in England and Wales, marking the most important change on this area of law for nearly 60 years.

The amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill, tabled by Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi, abolishes the prosecution of girls for terminating their pregnancy at any stage as much as birth.

It passed by 379 votes to 137, and can now be scrutinised within the House of Lords. 

Critics say the plans ignore the harm done to women and the danger of more sex-selective abortions.

Alithea Williams, of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC), said she was “horrified” that MPs had backed such an “extreme and barbaric” proposal.

“If this clause becomes law, a lady who aborts her baby at any point in pregnancy, even moments before birth, wouldn’t be committing a criminal offence. In fact, by dismissing the Infant Life Preservation Act intended to offer legal protection to a baby during birth, a lady who killed her baby during delivery wouldn’t be committing an offence,” she said. 

“Our already liberal abortion law allows an estimated 300,000 babies a yr to be killed. Now, even the very limited protection afforded by the law is being stripped away. And this has been pushed by an abortion lobby cynically exploiting a situation that they caused.

“The cases they use of girls being prosecuted for abortion – a number in the one digits – got here about due to a policy they championed – sending women abortion pills within the post without in person appointments.” 

She expressed frustration that such a big change to abortion laws was voted through after only a couple of hours of debate and with little notice. 

She called on the House of Lords to reject the proposals, adding, “We won’t ever accept a law that puts women at risk and removes all rights from unborn babies.” 

Caroline Ansell, policy director at Christian social policy charity CARE, called the vote “truly heartbreaking”.

“Parliament has taken an extreme and retrograde step that may pave the best way for more, harrowing late-term abortions,” she said.

“The decriminalisation of abortion will place women at greater risk of trauma and hospitalisation.

“We imagine that each lives matter in every pregnancy. Just societies protect each moms and babies and supply holistic support to enable their flourishing.”

Lord Alton of Liverpool said: “This hasty change may have profound implications for the best way that longstanding law on this country will operate.

“We know that there are potential real risks for the security of girls particularly who will likely be encouraged towards DIY abortions.

“I expect that colleagues within the House of Lords will want to scrutinise its provisions very closely and to amend it as mandatory to make it secure.“

Right To Life UK spokesperson, Catherine Robinson, said: “Pro-abortion MPs have hijacked a government bill to rush through this radical and seismic change to our abortion laws after just two hours’ debate.

“This is the primary time this extreme abortion amendment has been debated within the House of Commons, and there was no consultation with the general public on this seismic law change.

“We will likely be fighting this amendment at every stage within the Lords.”

Dawn McAvoy, of Both Lives Matter UK, said: “This is just not a victory for ladies – it’s a tragic failure. The purpose of abortion law is to guard and support each lives in every pregnancy from toxic substances or dangerous operations. 

“Abortion should remain inside criminal law since it involves the deliberate ending of a human life. Removing each lives in pregnancy from criminal law puts each lives in danger.

“In effect, parliament have voted to facilitate dangerous backstreet abortions where dangerous, even late-term abortion is legitimised, and girls are left more vulnerable than ever.  

“This is just not healthcare, that is abandonment.”