women in london

Now that the drama of the general election and the negotiations to form a coalition have finally ended, what impact will the result have on the struggle for abortion rights and reproductive choice in the UK? Did we, as we sought in our pre-election lobby campaign, elect a pro-choice Parliament? The results are mixed.

We said goodbye to 128 MPs who voted to keep the 24 week time limit in 2008, including staunch pro-choice campaigners Evan Harris and Chris McCafferty. We thank them for their long service to women’s rights in this country and wish them well for the future.

Our initial tally of the new House of Commons shows about 210 pro-choice MPs (those supporting the 24 week time limit), 221 anti-choice and 213 whose views are currently unknown. In the coming months Abortion Rights will be providing newly elected Members with information on the importance of maintaining the time limit and providing high quality abortion services. And we will be asking our supporters to continue the hard work they began during the election campaign by contacting MPs whose views we don’t yet know.

What of the Government itself? During the election campaign David Cameron made it clear that he favoured a cut in the time limit to 20 or 22 weeks (http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/articles/a0000790.shtml). Within the Cabinet, the majority of members favour a reduction, including three who voted for a 12 week limit. George Osborne remains the only Conservative member supporting 24 weeks, alongside Lib-Dems Nick Clegg, Chris Huhne and Danny Alexander.

As for the women MPs who have made it to the Cabinet, Theresa May, Home Secretary and ‘Women and Equalities’ Minister, voted for 20 weeks, as did Caroline Spelman, the new Environment Secretary and Cheryl Gillan at the Welsh Office.

At the Department of Health we have Andrew Lansley (22 weeks), Paul Burstow (24), Simon Burns (20) and Anne Milton as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for abortion and sexual health services, voting for 20 weeks.

An attack on the time limit in the near future seems unlikely, however, given the pressing issues facing the new Government, combined with the presence of the generally more pro-choice Liberal Democrats within the coalition. In his first interview as Secretary of State (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1278236/GPs-told-provide-hours-care.html), Andrew Lansley signalled that the Government would not be seeking such a move, although leaving open the possibility that a backbench MP may seek to re-open the issue.

The most pressing threat to abortion access during this Parliament remains the possibility of public sector spending cuts. Although ‘frontline’ health and education funding is currently ring-fenced, it is highly likely that future sweeping reductions will impact sexual and reproductive health services, jeopardising the investments and service improvements seen over the past decade, and threatening the health and well-being of thousands of women. In the coming months Abortion Rights, alongside trade unions and women’s organisations, will be vigorously campaigning to oppose any such cuts to these vital services.

From Abortion Rights News May 2010