SPUC have welcomed the comments made by US Congressman Chris Smith who stated that Westminster’s imposition of abortion on Northern Ireland is "not the will of the people" and that abortion law must be left to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Mr Smith penned a letter to the UK secretary of state, urging him to refer Northern Ireland’s abortion law back to the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The Congressman said: "Imposing a liberal abortion regime upon Northern Ireland shows a contempt for the Good Friday Agreement’s devolution provisions, and weakens the entire agreement, which is the framework for the fragile peace that Northern Ireland has known….
"Let Northern Ireland work this issue out through its own representative Assembly. Abortion on demand is not the will of the people in Northern Ireland, and if it were, Northern Ireland has a duly constituted Assembly by which it can balance equities and legislate on the matter.
"The democratic traditions of Westminster are some of the oldest in the world. The imposition of Section 9 fails the most fundamental test of any act of government, it neither reflects nor respects the will of the people, who have a right to expect that their Government act in their interest, and carry out their will. I thus appeal to you to re-examine your course of action and defer to the Northern Ireland Assembly, thereby allaying any doubts about HMG’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement and the principle of devolution."
Resist calls to compromise
SPUC have been urging pro-life groups and supporters to resist any compromise regarding the Northern Irish abortion law.
John Smeaton, SPUC Chief Executive said: "Compromising on the Northern Ireland abortion law in an unethical deal makes one potentially complicit in the radical abortion regime authorised by the Act. It could also make it virtually impossible to establish a genuinely pro-life position in this Parliament.
"We appreciate that the idea behind such moves might be to persuade the Government not to introduce even worse regulations.
"What is absolutely necessary is that pro-life MPs oppose unequivocally any measure making the provision of abortion lawful in Northern Ireland. It is vital that pro-life politicians refuse to advise the Government on how to legislate in favour of killing unborn children in so-called "limited" circumstances. That's something that the thousands of pro-life citizens in the UK who support the work of this Society will not be prepared to countenance.
"All pro-life efforts must get fully behind the repeal of Section 9."
Since the passing of the UK 1967 Abortion Act, Northern Ireland has been the only region of the United Kingdom which has resisted the abortion law. As a result of this, more than 100,000 Northern Irish people are alive today.