Dr. Rupa Huq, the MP who has been suspended from the Labour party while she is investigated for racism, has tabled yet another amendment to a Government Bill with the aim of banning pro-life vigils around abortion clinics.
New Clause 11 is tabled to the Public Order Bill, which is due to be debated on 18 October (You can read about how a similar amendment to an earlier stage of this Bill was defeated here).
The amendment, if passed, would create so-called “buffer zones” around abortion facilities, and make it illegal to interfere “with any person's decision to access, provide, or facilitate the provision of abortion services in that buffer zone” – an offence punishable by up to 2 years in prison.
Dr Huq has a history of using shocking and offensive rhetoric against pro-life people. When she raised the issue of buffer zones in June, Dr Huq twice compared vigils outside abortion facilities to the brutal murder of Sarah Everard in March 2021.
Despite Dr Huq’s suspension from the Labour Party, she is still an MP and able to table her amendment – or she may choose to pass the job to her co-sponsor, Stella Creasy MP.
Write to your MP to oppose buffer zones
SPUC is asking supporters to write to their MPs to urge them to oppose this amendment, and has created this easy-to-use web tool.
Alithea Williams, SPUC’s Public Policy Manager, said: “It is vital that these repeated attempts to introduce illiberal buffer zones are resisted. Please take a few moments to contact your MP using our web tool, and share it with others. MPs need to get the message loud and clear that jailing people for offering help to women, and for praying, is unconscionable.
“We must also push back against the demonising rhetoric used about pro-life vigils. While Rupa Huq has shown that her vitriol is not restricted to pro-lifers, her attitudes towards peaceful vigils are far from unique. We must stand up for the rights of pro-life people to peacefully demonstrate and offer help to women, and for the rights of women to receive those offers of help.”