SPUC International Director Maria Madise, Sammy Wilson MP, Emma Little-Pengelly MP, Michael Robinson, Communications Director of SPUC Scotland
Today, Friday, , marks 50 years since the 1967 Abortion Act came into force.
Abortions began in the UK 6 months after the 1967 Abortion Act received Royal Assent on 27 October 1967.
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children was founded on 11 Jan 1967 to fight the Act. SPUC is marking the anniversary with the publication of a new book, Abortion Matters, edited by SPUC bioethicist Dr Anthony McCarthy.
Earlier in the week, SPUC representatives met with pro-life MPs in Parliament, to give them a copy of the book, and to thank them for their witness.
Clockwise from left: Mary Glindon MP, Jim Shannon MP, a representative of John Glen MP
Thanking pro-life MPs
Antonia Tully, SPUC’s Director of Campaigns, said: "Since the 1967 Abortion Act came into force, nearly 9 million babies have lost their lives to abortion, and countless women have been hurt, both physically and emotionally.
"This is a tragic anniversary, but we wanted to take the opportunity to thank those MPs who have bravely defied the pro-abortion consensus and used their votes and their voices to stand up for unborn babies."
The MPs were given a card reading: "Thank you for defending the lives of unborn children and their mothers. To mark the 50th anniversary of the implementation of the Abortion Act 1967, the officers and members of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children would like to thank you for speaking up in Parliament for unborn babies and their mothers, and voting in favour of life."
Clockwise from bottom left: Desmond Swayne MP, Martin Vickers MP, Steve Double MP
MPs from the Conservative, Labour, Scottish Nationalist and Democratic Unionist parties came to meet SPUC.
MPs who are not known to support the pro-life cause have been sent a card asking them to think of the 9 million unborn babies lost to abortion in the last 50 years.
What's the book about?
Speaking to a group in the Faroe Islands this week, SPUC CEO John Smeaton said: " Abortion Matters seeks to provide clear, convincing answers to the most fundamental questions relating to abortion, not least: why abortion is always wrong, and how women are also victimised by abortion.
"Dr McCarthy [ensures] that the most challenging questions on abortion are answered in good, clear English without in any way diluting the point - on rape, on disability, on population control, and on dozens of other major issues, not least the humanity of the baby from conception, the nature of abortion, and the impact of abortion on women.
"I hope that the easy to read, richly-referenced text of Abortion Matters will persuade those who are unsure what to think about abortion that there is an overwhelming case against it; that the book will give much food for thought to those who support abortion; and that those who are opposed to abortion will find in the text which follows many facts, figures, new sources, and well-reasoned arguments to strengthen their pro-life witness."
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