Members of anti-abortion life group Precious Life, Northern Ireland. A new pro-life Poster Campaign aims to ensure legislation regarding abortion in the North of Ireland (NI) will be dealt with by Stormont rather than in Westminster, with campaigners saying “the battle is on”.
Churches across NI will be contacted by Precious Life who hope they will encourage parishioners to send the group’s postcards to Northern Ireland’s Secretary of State, Karen Bradley MP.
The Director of Precious Life, Bernadette Smyth, said: “Our new Postcard Petition calls on the Northern Ireland Secretary of State to ensure that the democratic process in Northern Ireland is respected in Westminster, and ensure that any legislation regarding abortion in Northern Ireland will be dealt with by our Assembly only.”
This comes as Labour MP Diana Johnson is to introduce a ‘ten-minute rule bill’ calling for the de-criminalisation of abortion, with MPs in Westminster expected to vote on it next month.
The process allows a backbench MP to argue for a new bill in a speech lasting up to ten minutes.
An opposing speech can be made before a decision is reached on whether or not the bill should be introduced.
“We either have devolution or we don’t. Time is of the essence, we need to be on the phone, we need to be tapping on doors and asking the Church to do this. It’s not about us collecting the petitions it’s about the Church promoting it and encouraging their congregations to put a stamp on a card and sending it directly to Karen Bradley,” Ms Smyth told The Irish Catholic.
“We’re just giving people a voice here. Be the voice for democracy, be the voice for life – the battle is on for sure.”