SPUC has denounced Westminister MPs for their attempts to 'bully' Northern Ireland into introducing new abortion regime.

The House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee today issued a report demanding the enforcement of abortion in Northern Ireland.

The document which was issued with two separate reports has made drastic demands which involve recommending Westminster override the devolved power of Northern Ireland in this instance in order to impose abortion law. It also calls for the termination of children to be made available in cases where foetal anomaly is detected.

Defying democracy

Despite the extreme nature of the demands, the recommendations made are entirely out of touch with the people of Northern Ireland. A 2018 ComRes poll revealed that 64% of the Northern Irish population thought that a change in law regarding abortion should be a decision for the people of Northern Ireland and their elected representatives, not Westminster. The same poll also found that a clear majority of women reject Westminster interference on this issue. The strongest support group however was those aged between 18-34 with 70% stating that they did not want Westminster imposing abortion law in Northern Ireland.

Promoting their own agenda

The report has been branded by SPUC as "a sham lacking any credibility" and will be calling on Prime Minister, Theresa May to publicly reject the document and all attempts by extreme pro-abortion politicians to force abortion upon the people of Northern Ireland.

Accusing the committee of exploiting the privilege of their position to push their own extremist abortion views, SPUC Northern Ireland political officer, Liam Gibson said: "This report lacks all credibility. It is a disgrace how a group of pro-abortion MPs have used the committee system to promote their own agenda.

Mr Gibson continued: "SPUC will be calling on the Prime Minister to publicly reject all attempts by pro-abortion politicians to bully the people of Northern Ireland into accepting the wholesale legislation of abortion."

"Not one of these MPs has received a single vote from the people of Northern Ireland. They are totally dismissive of the right of the people here to maintain laws which protect children from abortion, laws which have saved the lives of over 100,000 babies. They pay lip service to the devolution settlement but then try to dictate what our laws ought to be."

Mr Gibson said: "the committee’s claims that our human rights obligations require the legalisation of abortion are completely untrue."

"Not one universal human rights agreement has ever recognised abortion as a human right. On the contrary, the right to life is the fundamental human right, shared by all members of the human family, born and unborn, regardless of their disabilities or the circumstances of their conception. Abortion violates the right to life."

"The committee also ignored the extensive evidence presented to it of the serious harm women have suffered following abortion. Research we presented to the committee shows that abortion is associated with significantly higher death rates for women up to ten years after an abortion, compared with women who gave birth. Suicide rates are around six times greater after abortion than after childbirth. Women described significant grief three years after abortion with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse are also associated with the subsequent pregnancies of women who have had an abortion."