Abortion law should be left to Northern Ireland and not imposed by Westminster, Conservative and Labour MPs say.
It comes as the Prime Minister faces intense pressure to impose liberal abortion laws on the Province, in the wake of the Republic of Ireland’s referendum.
Currently Northern Ireland protects the unborn, allowing abortion only in limited circumstances.
Undermine
In a new poll, 72 per cent of Conservative MPs who were asked said London should not undermine devolution by forcing abortion on Northern Ireland. Just nine per cent disagreed.
The same survey, of 150 MPs carried out by ComRes in March, found most Conservative MPs also disagreed with having a vote in Westminster on the issue.
At the same time Labour’s Mary Glindon said the issue was “for the people of Northern Ireland”.
Glindon – who has previously voted in favour of pro-life issues – said regardless of personal views on abortion “we must respect their right to exercise their devolved powers”.
Women deserve better
Responding to the poll, Dawn McAvoy of Both Lives Matter, said, “this is the time for a better story around pregnancy crisis than assuming that abortion is what women want or need”.
Women and babies deserve better than abortion
Instead of abortion, she said, Northern Ireland should commit to supporting women during pregnancy.
“Women and babies deserve better than abortion”, she concluded.
Labour MP Stella Creasy is leading the campaign to impose abortion – claiming it would benefit people’s human rights – alongside abortion giant BPAS and Alliance for Choice.