Abortion back in Parliament?

The case against a doctor carrying out a late abortion for cleft palate, which was brought by the Rev. Joanna Jepson, and the beautiful pictures of unborn children making stepping movements in the womb from as early as 12 weeks, revolutionised the treatment of the issue in the Press. To a veteran of the 1967 abortion campaign, it was almost unbelievable. Michael Howard, leader of the Conservative Party, called for a review of the time limit.

Now the "Alive and Kicking Campaign" has been launched at a fringe meeting at the Labour Party conference in Brighton to "make abortion rare". Pro-abortionists protested outside.

Martin Foley, chief executive of LIFE, wrote in LIFE News, Summer 2005:

"If it is clear that a particular Bill or legislative proposal will improve the current situation - will save some of the almost 190,000 unborn children that are being aborted each year and safeguard women's health - then surely we have a duty to give such legislation
our wholehearted support as a first step towards the repeal of the iniquitous Abortion Act."

What if it is a quite different sort of Bill?

SPUC reported (19 July 05) "Today's debate in Parliament on abortion has revealed an agenda for easier and more frequent abortions.

"Dr. Evan Harris MP (Liberal Democrat) led an adjournment debate today in Westminster Hall, in which he called for abortion law and practice to be relaxed alongside a parliamentary inquiry into the upper time limit for abortions. Dr. Harris specifically called for 'first trimester abortions to be made easier; for the safeguard of two doctors' signatures for abortion to be abolished; for chemical abortion (using RU486) to be permitted at home ('bedroom abortions'); and for the 1967 Abortion Act to be extended to Northern Ireland.

"Caroline Flint, the minister replying on behalf of the Government, ominously told the House that the Government is 'putting a lever on primary care trusts' to reduce waiting times for abortions and is currently trialling 'bedroom abortions.'" A review of time limits was rejected, but at the "Alive and Kicking" launch the ghost of a Government "bargain"could be seen approaching: a reduction of the upper limit in return for abortion-on-demand up to 12 weeks.

The Pro-Life Alliance is alarmed by "suppression of data" by the Government, the Catholic Herald reported on 5 Aug 05. "Last year official statistics on abortions were not released because of the Joanna Jepson case and the high media profile of the abortion issue. Now the 2003 and 2004 abortion statistics have been published, but they do not include sensitive information about controversial abortions because of foetal abnormalities."

Anthony Ozimic of SPUC said (27 July 05) "Politicians and commentators must realise that the government's approach of promoting early abortions is increasing the number of abortions."

The Association of Lawyers for the Defence of the Unborn reminded readers in their newsletter of Spring 2004 that "the removal of the law's protection from older unborn babies was the work of a Conservative Secretary of State, the Rt. Hon. Kenneth Clarke, QC. MP. who introduced this further grave injustice into our law in his government's Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act of 1990."