Northern Irish MPs must listen to women on abortion law

MPs risk “crippling devolution” if abortion laws are imposed on the North of Ireland, according to a group of community leaders from the region, a prominent pro-life group has said.

At a special event at Westminster on July 18, MPs heard from seven women and political representatives who do not want the current abortion law in the North to be changed, following campaigning for the provision to be liberalised.

Sentiments

Polling by Both Lives Matter has shown a huge majority – 72% – of Conservative MP’s are against imposing abortion laws on the North following its devolution to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2009.

Commenting on abortion law in the North, co-founder of Both Lives Matter, Dawn McEvoy, said: “We would urge British MPs to respect the people of Northern Ireland and our elected representatives. Our current law provides proper protection for both the mother and the unborn baby and we’ve found that many women have no desire for that law to be changed.”

Echoing these sentiments, former Sinn Féin Mayor, Ann Brolly, said that the devolved administration in the North of Ireland was hard won and must be respected.

“If MPs are serious about respecting it then they will not legislate above the heads of our elected representatives,” she said. 
“All across the North there are many women, of different political persuasions who do not want this sort of imposition and I would strongly urge MPs to listen to the views expressed today.”