By John Smeaton
The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC) has always been non-party political. We urge our supporters to find out the pro-life voting intentions of individual parliamentary candidates standing in their constituency, and to vote for the politicians who, if elected, are most likely to fight and vote for the right to life of unborn children in the House of Commons.
It’s now essential that pro-lifers throughout the UK contact their newly-elected MPs of whatever party both to congratulate them personally on their election, and to urge them to work against and vote against all attempts to decriminalise abortion in Britain, following the last Parliament’s imposition of abortion in Northern Ireland last July, with the support of the previous Conservative government.
The Conservative party has won their biggest parliamentary majority since 1987. Whilst it is good that the party forming the new Government does not have a policy to decriminalise abortion, we must learn the lessons of history.
Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government elected by a huge majority in 1987 had no party policy on abortion. However they introduced legislation which, with their backing, legalised abortion up to birth and human embryo research.
David Cameron’s Conservative government, elected in 2010, had no party policy on same-sex marriage. However they introduced legislation to legalise same-sex marriage, championed by David Cameron, the Prime Minister, and with Boris Johnson saying on Sky News in December 2012 "Let’s whack it through [Parliament]".
And Teresa May’s Conservative government, elected in 2017, had no party policy on abortion. However, from the very start of her period of office, she promoted abortion for abortion in Northern Ireland leading to legislation imposing the worst abortion law in Europe on Northern Ireland, against the will of all Northern Irish MPs who took their seats in the House of Commons.
The greatest threat on the political horizon remains abortion decriminalisation. Pro-lifers must start work now contacting their MPs and raising the alarm. Pro-lifers must also vigorously oppose a political deal on abortion - allowing abortion up to so many weeks gestation with the inevitable exceptions up to birth. This was the tragic mistaken deal backed by pro-life groups in 1990. It’s both unethical and led to abortion up to birth. The pro-life movement must never again trade the lives of unborn children to reach a political settlement on abortion.