‘The Commons vote against anti-abortion amendments is a decisive win for the pro-choice movement. But the result also shows the effectiveness of Abortion Rights’ campaign of lobbying MPs and protesting for women’s rights. Despite a sensationalist and misleading campaign by the anti-abortion lobby, women’s voices, the wealth of medical evidence and the majority of the population have been listened to.

‘Abortion Rights wants to thank the thousands of women and wide range of organisations including the national trade unions, national student union and the pro-choice faith organisations, who in their many different ways, have made sure that the pro-choice voice has been heard.

‘This must now be the end of anti-abortion attacks on women.

Abortion Rights now wants to move on to improvements in the law for women. We need parliament to put the focus back where it should be: on improving women’s access to free safe abortion and removing the obstacles that women still face. This includes ending the outdated requirement of doctors’ signatures, which cause unnecessary and distressing delays for women. There must also be an end to the scandal of banning women from the north of Ireland from accessing safe, legal abortion.’

In the debate:

Christine McCafferty MP said:: ‘Lowering the abortion time limit would not remove the need for later abortion, but would put distressing barriers in the way. Legislation should, of course, keep up to date with scientific evidence, but all peer-reviewed studies show no improvement in babies’ survival before 24 weeks. All amendments to lower the abortion time limit are cynical, cruel, abusive and inhumane.’
Julie Morgan MP said:: ‘The campaign to cut the limit is not an anti-24 week campaign, it is an anti-abortion campaign. I hope MPs recognise these rights over our bodies were hard won and we don’t want an erosion of our rights. We need to stay steadfast and accept the medical evidence.’
John Bercow MP said:: ‘[Ann Widdecombe] talks about humanity. Does she not accept that if the time limit was lowered by 2 weeks very, very, very frightened and vulnerable women will suffer?’
Evan Harris MP said:: ‘Parliament has made the right decision, respecting womens’ right to access abortion and taking the advice of the medical world about what the appropriate time limit should be. It was a good debate, although it was a pity to see so many made up statistics and distortions of the medical evidence from the anti-abortion side.’

Ahead of the vote:

Comedian Jo Brand, said:: ‘The time limit argument is a total red herring. It’s the same old anti-abortionists with their anti-women agenda, making up the science as they go along. MPs must have no truck with this’.
Actor Emma Thompson said:: ‘Those opposed to abortion are entitled to their view, that they should not be allowed to dictate to women about their own individual decisions and start chipping away at laws designed to protect the safety of women who cannot continue with a pregnancy.’

Notes:

Votes:
- 71 for 12 weeks, 393 against;
- 84 for 16 weeks, 387 against;
- 190 for 20 weeks, 332 against;
- 233 for 22 weeks, 304 against.
Over 1000 pro-choice supporters took part in a lively protest organised by Abortion Rights outside Parliament as MPs debated amendments for the time limit.
Abortion Rights, the national pro-choice campaign, is campaigning to defend women’s current abortion rights involving thousands of supporters across Britain, MPs, medical professionals, trade union, student and women’s groups. Abortion Rights believes the abortion law should be strengthened, not weakened. For more details please visit http://www.abortionrights.org.uk.

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